Vision Correction Surgery: I want it but I'm scared.

[Anonymous]

This is something I really want to do for myself (can't wear contacts any more for medical reasons, and really really really hate the glasses after 3 years straight of wearing them). But I'm terrified of adverse side effects. Anybody have any reassuring words, or horror stories I should know about as I'm considering this? Anybody have it done and love it? hate it? Anybody decide not to do it, and why?

Also, any recommendations for who to use?

[Anonymous]

I had run of the mill nearsightedness since I was about 10 yo. I had the surgery about three years ago and I LOVE it. Had a few weeks of dryness and discomfort but it disappeared and it's so amazing not to wear contacts or glasses anymore. I was afraid too but it was over in minutes.

[Anonymous]

Had it done 5 years ago, wish I had had it done 10 years ago. No real side effects (other than a realization that I had bags under my eyes ) I went to TLC. Find someone who has done the procedure thousands of times and it's hard to go wrong. The procedure itself is very short and pain-free.

[Anonymous]

Don't do it. I knew someone who said she was going to get the surgery. She changed her mind, and didn't get the surgery because her two siblings, who are both eye doctors, said the surgery won't guarantee that you won't ever need glasses again.

One guy who had it done said that he will occasionally need "tune-ups". Creepy.

[Anonymous]

I had it done four years ago, and don't regret it at all. I was terribly nearsighted, and love waking up with perfect vision. I may need glasses for reading when I get older, but probably would have needed bifocals anyway, so it makes no difference

[Anonymous]

did it in 2007, best 5k I have ever spent. wore glasses/contacts since the age of 5, had terrible vision (-8.75 and -9.00)....within minutes after the surgery i could see my doctor!!! i am now 20/20. only side effect - my eyes are drier and more sensitive to pollution/dust, etc. but i am sure 20 years of wearing contacts contributed to this problem. even with the dryness, i am sooooooooooooooooooo happy!! i love my peepers!! do it!! i was so scared too, so scared that it took me literally 10 years to work up the courage, and only after 2 of my clsoe friends had theirs done. i went to dr. whitten (who did tiger woods' eyes) at TLC. very very happy patient/customer -- if you are a good candidate, i say go for it!!

[Anonymous]

Won't do it.

There are still issues with problems created by the surgery that can't be corrected. A small number of people, to be sure, but I won't accept even a small probability of ending up worse off.

I might have made a different decision if I were -8 or -9. I'm only -6.

As for never needing glasses again - I wouldn't worry about that as a reason because there's a big difference between "needing glasses" and needing the thousand dollar ones I wear.

[Anonymous]

Did it almost 4 years ago and haven't regretted it for a moment. I went to a good doctor who had no stake in the matter to find out if I was a good candidate, and I had it done by Dr Whitten at TLC.

DH did it 2 years ago and has had some issues - mostly with ghosting around lights at night. It was bad at first, but he's fine with it now and rarely has issues unless he has to drive in bad conditions at night.

DH was not a perfect candidate, and although he also went to Dr Whitten, there were some minor issues with the surgery. Nothing is bad enough that he regrets it.

I was told that I'd probably need reading glasses when I turned 40. I can handle that over the needing to wear glasses literally all day to see anything.

[Anonymous]

I had it done 9 years ago. No regrets.

[Anonymous]

Had mine done a year ago. Happy with it, although I have sensitive eyes and the procedure and recovery were difficult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't do it. I knew someone who said she was going to get the surgery. She changed her mind, and didn't get the surgery because her two siblings, who are both eye doctors, said the surgery won't guarantee that you won't ever need glasses again.

One guy who had it done said that he will occasionally need "tune-ups". Creepy.

This is true. So many optometrists and ophthalmologists haven't had the surgery themselves. What's up with that? And, quite a few people seem to end up with at least some sort of part-time glasses/CLs correction at some point. It seems like LASIK will definitely improve your vision, but there is no guarantee that you'll never need glasses again.

Only now is the FDA actually doing a study to see what the long-term outcomes have been.

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm186858.htm

[Anonymous]

I got it done two years ago. I was very near sighted and could not even see the light on the eye chart, much less the Big E. I absolutely love not having to bother with glasses or contacts. I do still wear reading glasses, but that is something that is not corrected by the surgery. I had an easy recovery and never even missed a day of work. I used Dr. Boutrous at The Eye Center. (Don't know if I spelled the doctor's name correctly).

If you are thinking about it seriously, you can get a free consult from many of the doctors, which would let you know if you are a candidate for the procedure.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, they don't promise that you'll never need glasses again. In fact, they explain that as your eyes age, you will likely need reading glasses (just as most of the general public does after a certain age). I believe Lasik could hasten that process, but that has not been my experience as far as I can tell. I am 44, had surgery 9 years ago and am just starting to wonder if I should look into reading glasses. By contrast, my sister, who never had glasses or surgery, got reading glasses by 42.

They also tell you that it's possible that they cannot correct your eyes enough to get rid of glasses. So some people still need glasses (although a weaker strength, presumably).

OP, I understand your trepidation. It's not something to do lightly. There is a website with a forum where people discuss bad results in detail. I think it's www.surgicaleyes.org I felt that I needed to read some of these stories to understand the risks. Ultimately, DH convinced me to stop worrying because the odds were very much in my favor and go for it. I'm really glad I did, but a part of me feels that I was lucky. I would be very careful about who does the pre-op evaluation. If they have any doubts about whether you are a good candidate, get a second opinion. From the stories I read, a lot of the people that had bad results (not all of them) were probably bad candidates to begin with. Do your homework and make yourself comfortable with the risks. IF you can't, don't go through with it.

[Anonymous]

Not the OP, but I have similar concerns. Would the PPs who have it mind sharing how nearsighted they were? I am -9 and -7.5. Wearing contacts is a breeze but after 20+ plus years, I am so tempted! A fear is that if there are problems, I would not want my vision to get worse. It has been steady for 10+ years and I am basically blind in my left eye now! Thanks.

[Anonymous]

20:53 here. I was -4.5 in one ye and I don't remember what the other was, but it was close to the same range. I had problems with GPC (Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis, I think it is) and had developed an allergy to my contact lenses, so wearing them was very uncomfortable. They opth. had told me that soon I would no longer be able to wear contacts, which is what sent me over the edge.