Considering LASIK

I'm also one of those given the choice between losing my sight or my hearing, I'd choose sight.

Why would you rather lose your sight? I am just in awe that someone would choose this.

Music mostly. Can't imagine life without it.

Yeah music for me too.  Must have my music.

I already have slightly bad night vision so I wonder if it would get worse or stay the same.

I had pretty bad too... I would say after three months of it being pretty bad after the surgery, it went back to where I couldn't really tell a difference, so it might be worse, but I have adjusted to it.  It won't get better.  That is something to think about.

Also, with the new "wavefront" or "waveguide" technology, instead of just programming in a perscription to zap out of your lens, they actually can adjust for astigmatisms and other variations in your eye so that you can end up with better vision then you could with contacts or corrective lenses.  I was lucky that my vision overall is better then the best corrected vision I could get otherwise.

also that the scar tissue mite be a problem later on when you need cataract surgery

I really don't know what scar tissue you are talking about...  The eyes heal in a different way then other body parts.  I was particullary concerned about this because I get very nasty scars and have excess scar tissue.  As long as you don't have an auto-immune disease, then your eyes heal up just fine without any scaring.  The only thing that changes is that your cornea is thinner, making it difficult to perform a second procedure if you get under corrected, but it does not cause any complications with future eye surgeries.

I still recommend anyone taking a look into it and understanding how the process works and how it will fix your eyes.  It took me about 3-4 years to make up my mind and finally go for it, and you really want a doctor who is isn't going to take risk just to make a sale, you want one that is going to make sure you are a good canidate.

Thanks for the in depth advice Kitsonk. I really appreciate it.

I am doing my research as I always do before making big decisions, and am trying to balance all the info. At the moment, I am leaning towards doing it.

I have been considering this for years, but have never had the guts to go through with it due to the previously stated job concerns. I do know of quite a few people in my profession that HAVE done it over the years, and none of them had issues. It also feels like the surgery  and techniques are at the point where my comfort level is high enough.

One of the things I am looking at now is if it would be better to do it in the US or the UK, both in terms of cost/availability and surgeon experience.

My cousin's friend considered it and went for a consultation at the Wilmer Eye Institute which is part of Johns Hopkins. She noticed the secretary was wearing glasses and asked her why. The secretary replied that she had seen too many botched jobs to consider taking the risk.

That said, I also worked for University of Maryland and a colleague with appalling vision was having it done through their medical school. He said that if you have really bad vision, you must be monitored for about a year to make sure your eyes aren't changing and you must go to a proper clinic affiliated with a hospital - not just any clinic in the yellow pages.

Just because you have the surgery doesn't mean your eyes won't get worse. All you are doing is correcting current bad vision, not preventing further worsening. So I was told that for me, and I have the WORST vision ever, I would not even be corrected to 100%. But I'd be corrected enough that I could wear wire rimmed glasses which I can't now! And that if my eyes do worsen, at least I wouldn't be off the charts!!

I doubt I'll have it done though because I'm a devoted contact lens wearer. But, I've worn them so long, I'm starting to see the effects of lack of oxygen to my eyes. For this reason I'm really looking forward to the new silicone lenses that are coming onto the market.

Just because you have the surgery doesn't mean your eyes won't get worse. All you are doing is correcting current bad vision, not preventing further worsening. So I was told that for me, and I have the WORST vision ever, I would not even be corrected to 100%. But I'd be corrected enough that I could wear wire rimmed glasses which I can't now! And that if my eyes do worsen, at least I wouldn't be off the charts!!

This is why I wouldn't do it, though - if I'm going through surgery, I'd want to be able to stop wearing glasses/contacts rather than just having a partial improvement.  If I have to wear glasses/contacts anyway then I'd rather just keep my current prescription and not go through eye surgery.

Balmerhon what's your prescription? 

Balmerhon what's your prescription? 

I honestly don't know! Just really, really bad. I can't see clearly 4 inches from my face so can't read, let alone drive or function without corrective lenses. Even buying the ultra-light lenses for glasses, they are still coke bottles and won't work well in wire rimmed frames. Plus I have a very straight nose and very oily skin so glasses don't stay up. I get ear aches trying to hold them up!! That's why I'm a committed lens wearer but my lenses are always special ordered.

I doubt I'll have it done though because I'm a devoted contact lens wearer. But, I've worn them so long, I'm starting to see the effects of lack of oxygen to my eyes. For this reason I'm really looking forward to the new silicone lenses that are coming onto the market.

I've been wearing contacts for about 15 years and I'm having issues with that too. I just got new contacts last month and they pointed out what the lack of oxygen has done to my eyes. I've seen it in my eyes but didn't realize that's what was happening. It's really really bothering me now. That has made me start to consider getting the surgery but I'd have to do a lot of research personally before I made the decision to do it.

Among...

Look into the silicone ones. I need to do that as well, but they let in loads more oxygen. Not sure how available or how costly they are now though.

Among...

Look into the silicone ones. I need to do that as well, but they let in loads more oxygen. Not sure how available or how costly they are now though.

I just got some montly wear ones from Specsavers for £13 a month including solution and free replacement for lost or damaged lenses. I thought it was a good enough deal. She said they'd be a lot better than the ones I was wearing but I don't know if it's actually going to help my eyes clear up unless I start wearing them a lot less.

Hmmm I should probably look into all this.  Balmerhon mine are the same as yours - can't see a foot in front of my face, etc.  I have the ultrathin glasses too.  I actually don't mind wearing mine though - have got used to it and only do at night or when I'm really tired.  I usually get the frames that are thicker so they hide the thickness of the lens.  They look pretty good, I think.  I once ordered wireframes upon the advice of the assistant and when they came in they were horrid!!  I gave them back right then and there.

My contact lenses are also special ordered as most opticians will not have them in stock.

I've been wearing contacts for about...hmm...I guess 20 years by now.  I haven't had too much trouble with dryness or anything though.

I've been wearing contacts for about...hmm...I guess 20 years by now.  I haven't had too much trouble with dryness or anything though.

I don't have issues with dryness. My eyes are growing their own blood vessels to get oxygen to the parts covered by the contacts. So, now I've got visible blood vessels in the whites of my eyes. Apparently, if I stop wearing contacts then the blood vessels will dry out but they'll fill back up again if I start wearing them again. She showed me some pretty nasty pictures of how bad it can get.

Yep, what she said. It's the blood vessels that are the problem. I get funky european frames in the US as I do wear my glasses as much as possible at night.


Among, from what  I understand, the silicone lenses are MUCH better and should help with the oxygen problem - but I'm not 100% certain.

I honestly don't know! Just really, really bad. I can't see clearly 4 inches from my face so can't read, let alone drive or function without corrective lenses. Even buying the ultra-light lenses for glasses, they are still coke bottles and won't work well in wire rimmed frames.

Sounds like my sister.  My eyes are bad enough (around -4 diopter), but my sister's are -11!    Seriously, they are sooo bad they don't even make ultra-thin lenses in her prescription.  She sleeps in her contacts because she can't see well enough to find her glasses in the middle of the night if one of the kids needs her.  And they don't make the day/night lenses in her prescription either...they stop at -10.  She's considering surgery, but it isn't LASIK as she's not a good candidate for that.  It's more like cataract surgery, where they actually insert another lens in your eye.