Any advice on laser surgery?!


Question: I really want to have laser eye surgery - I have quite severe astigmatism & I'm short sighted. I wear contact lenses every day & have to wear my glasses if I'm not wearing my contacts. I would love to be free of contacts & to be able to see the time on the clock when I wake up in the morning.

However, I've heard recently about various people whose long distance vision has been corrected but it worsened their close up vision.

I've been for a consultation & they said my eyes were in perfect health except for slight dry eye in one, but I should wait a while longer so that my prescription could settle, as it's worsened a lot in recent years. However, they didn't mention any complications such as the one I mentioned above & I'm worried that they probably wouldn't in case I back out.

Can anyone tell me what are the most common negative efftecs of the surgery & how likely they are? I really want to have it done but can't bear the thought of something going wrong.


Answers: I really want to have laser eye surgery - I have quite severe astigmatism & I'm short sighted. I wear contact lenses every day & have to wear my glasses if I'm not wearing my contacts. I would love to be free of contacts & to be able to see the time on the clock when I wake up in the morning.

However, I've heard recently about various people whose long distance vision has been corrected but it worsened their close up vision.

I've been for a consultation & they said my eyes were in perfect health except for slight dry eye in one, but I should wait a while longer so that my prescription could settle, as it's worsened a lot in recent years. However, they didn't mention any complications such as the one I mentioned above & I'm worried that they probably wouldn't in case I back out.

Can anyone tell me what are the most common negative efftecs of the surgery & how likely they are? I really want to have it done but can't bear the thought of something going wrong.

Even with some side effects present in some people, 96% of people who have had it done say they would recommend it to a friend.
The odds are good for people who are good candidates but that does not reduce the risk to zero.
A stable Rx is strongly recommended.
The most commonly reported side effects or problems are:
Rx not as near zero as hoped,
Dry eyes (temporarily or permanently)
Glare or haloes at night (temporarily or permanently)
Estimates of frequency vary from 1-8%
More serious problems are rarer.

For people 40+ in age who occasionally or frequently do close work without their correction, having their Rx set to infinity can be a drawback as well as a benefit.

Two sources below.
1) The FDA Lasik site.
(nb Lasik is not the only technique available)
2) A fairly conventional consent form, from one particular practitioner, with details of what you'd be agreeing to before surgery.

Don't get the specials... look for a place thats been there for years and will provide comprehensive pre and post checkups.

Both my brothers are nearsighted, as am I, they have had it and only need reading glasses. I cannot afford it.

You should know that one very common side effect in laser surgery is eye dryness. Check out some of the stories on www.LASIKsucks4u.com. It's a website devoted to telling the NEGATIVES of lasik surgery that your doctor WON'T tell you, except in small print. I also have eye dryness and I talked to my eyedoctor about getting the surgery. He told me that honestly, if he were me, he wouldn't do it -- he thinks I have a better chance of complications with dryness. I can't think of anything worse than spending the rest of my life blinking, trying to make tears.

I got Lasik back in July. It is the best investment I have ever made. I had been wearing glasses and contacts since elementary school, so finally being able to see without anything was amazing! It's so nice being able to sit in bed and watch tv and not worry about falling asleep with my glasses on. It's nice I wake up in the middle of the night and can actually see the clock!
Im in my twenties now. My doctor told me that when I reach my 40's I will probably need reading glasses. Which is fine with me because by that time they will probably have something new out.
Problems: very few problems. I see halo's at night time around lights, which the doctor told me would happen, so it wasnt a surprise. For the first month or so you have to put lubricating drops in your eyes every few hours because the surgery does soemthing to the tear ducts in the eyes. The first few days afterwards were a little uncomfortable. Just felt like i had sand in my eyes, but it didnt stop me from doing any of my normal things. Even now months after my surgery my eyes will get a little dry mabye once a month so I just put some drops in and they are fine.

www.lasikplus.com

Go to that website they have information you can read up on.

take care of your lovely eyes allways...

just in http://www.greateyes.blogspot.com

I had LASIK 4 weeks ago and I was nearsighted. I have 20/10 vision and I can still see perfect up close. For 3-4 days after the surgery my eyes were blurry up close, but they cleared right up. I have absolutely no complaints about the surgery. It was very easy and I love not wearing glasses.

Every surgery has a chance for complications. A friend of mine had a root canal and she has been having a toothache for a couple of weeks. She went to another specialist and he found a piece of metal where they did the root canal. So that goes to show, that any surgery has risk. The percentage of complications for LASIK is about 1-2%, if not almost 0 if you go to a well known and well recommended doctor. That is how I found my doctor is from other people having it done.
GOOD LUCK!!

Hi Rachel,

I had laser surgery over 4 years ago. I couldn't pass the drivers license vision test! The best thing I ever did. The "common" negative effects as explained by my doctor:
I saw halos during night driving for about six weeks.
I only needed drops for dry eyes the first month (I had excessive tearing before procedure.)
Must wear quality sunglasses during daytime to reduce squinting and tearing.

I did give up my nearsighted vision and wear my magnifying glasses for viewing anything closer within and arms length distance. That would have happened anyway with aging.

Check out http://laser-eye-surgery-advice.com a web site dedicated for a comprehensive look at laser eye surgery procedures.

You'll know when you're ready. I agree with your consultation.

Good Luck





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