J-McKech

I'm getting lasik Dec. 21st and I'll admit I'm a little nervous about it. I was wondering how was the whole procedure and aftermath. And how long could you not drive and how long could you not ride?

roadfix

I was able to drive the very next day and do a group training ride on the second day. Just make sure you don't get any foreign matter in your eyes.

operator

More importantly

a) Are you glasses free for real (anytime/anywhere)
b) What are the restrictions on activities?

J-McKech

Yeah you are suppose to glasses free for real. And the only restrictions that I can find is no contact sports for 4-6weeks

roadfix

I was near-sighted before Lasik and after the surgery I was obviously able to see distance without glasses but at the same time I became far-sighted, meaning I now require cheap reading glasses to read which I never did before the surgery. Of course this has a lot to do with your age.

Dahon.Steve

There's a web site out there with HORROR stories about folks that had this surgury. I believe it has a 1 or 2 percent failure rate but if you happen to be in that group, the damage can be terrible. I don't remeber the site but there were numerous real life stories of people that can no longer drive at night because of this surgery. Other suffer from chronic eye dryness and walk around all day with eye drops unable to read more than a couple of pages of text before their eyes start hurting. Others became practically blind using the procedure.

Again. It's possible the procedure is safer but I would try to find that site before you visit. It reminds me of all those ads stating how easy it is to get your hair back through transplants. Guess what? There are massive lawsuits out against many of these transplant doctors because of all the horrific work done! But most people never know this and all you hear about are the wonderful results from guys like Wade Boggs!

motomickey

MAKE sure you add the tear eyedrops often-makes all the difference in the world. Best money I ever spent was on the procedure. 5 years later I need reading glasses, but my Dr. said I would have anyway (age deal-getting old is hell, the other option might mean hell?)

Sullster

Here is a website with a lot of info https://www.surgicaleyes.org . It is biased toward not getting the surgery but with all the sites out there advertising for it its good to have a devils advocate to consult.

I opted not to get the surgery right now because of the use of a Microkeratome which slices the flap in your eye. This is a mechanical device. They have now introduced a laser called IntraLase that creates the flap (supposed to be less complications but more cost for you). Until it has a couple years use I'm waiting.

Drayko

I'm gonna get it but I'll probably wait for a couple years too. I guess glasses will have to work until then. I want the technology to really routine before I do it.

roadfix

Those were my thoughts in the mid-90's. That's why I waited until 1999 to get mine done....

late

That laser should really imrove things. They are also working on a computer controlled blue laser device. The surgeon holds a wand over a 3d image of your eye about 20 times bigger than life. He makes a 'cut', the computer traces it, he can view it in 3d from multiple perspectives, and then tell the computer to make the cut. This will allow shaping well beyond anything we can do today.

ronsmithjunior

That website is:

https://www.lasikdisaster.com/

I got lasik in the Spring of 2001, and love it. No poor side effects at all. Unfortunately I was not riding much at the time, so getting back on the bike afterwards was not something I had to deal with.

skiahh

I got PRK in October of 2000. My vision has been 20/15 ever since then.

PRK is different from Lasik in that there's no flap - they actually remove some of the "skin" layer from your eye, make the laser correction exactly like Lasik does, and then put a contact on your eye as a bandage until the "skin" grows back - about 24-36 hours.

The result of the no flap difference between PRK and Lasik is that they do not cut your eye (with a Keratome or IntraLaser), so it's not weakened in any way. My surgeon said they had seen the Lasik flaps jarred loose up to a year post-op. He wasn't trying to sell one over the other; PRK was my only option since I fly for the Navy. Lasik - since it cuts into your eye - permanently disqualifies you from aviation in the military.

Recovery from PRK is more uncomfortable than from Lasik. For some, even painfully so, for about 3-4 days. I was driving about a week post-op and back on flying status 1 month post-op. I had some residual ghosting and haloing at night for about 6 months, but nothing really bad.

Based on the briefs I got about both procedures, I'd probably have picked PRK if I had a choice, since biking and skiing both involve big face plants. Well, at least for me they do. I wouldn't want that flap to shift out in the middle of nowhere, not to mention the fact that I hear it's pretty painful.

Bottom line, though, is I think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. And since my procedure, they've introduced "Wave Front" guided lasers and the laser keratome. The wave front laser has some eye centers GUARANTEEING 20/20 vision or your surgery is free. And, as Sullster said, the new laser keratome makes the chances of error in cutting the flap much less then with the mechanical blade.

The risks are real and you need to weigh them. For me, it would have meant not only reduced vision or worse, but potentially a loss of my career if I couldn't be corrected to 20/20 after the surgery. But, obviously, I was OK with the risk.

I'll still need reading glasses down the road if genetics say I will, but that's OK. I can live with having to put on glasses to read a book sitting on my couch. Not having to have glasses or contacts to ride, ski is awesome. Oh, and water skiiing? I can see the boat now from the end of the rope. And, I might start whitewater paddling again, too.

I say, go for it!

shokhead

It is routine as a good doc will have done 100's of these. There is a newer routine of doing it but i cant remember what its called. I just had it done 9 months ago,mono vision,no problem except i need a tad more light for reading smaller print which is normal. No glasses and a couple of pairs of nice sunglasses.

operator

Stil doesn't remove the fact that if they screw your eye up, there is no ctrl+z ...!

vrkelley

I'm going in tomorrow for the Advance Lasik (for people with *really* bad eye site). There are only 35 of them in the world. The success rate is 95% instead of 70% (meaning a 5% they'll have to redo the eyes later).

shokhead

Well, for the ones that have'nt done it,wear your glasses in good health,i'm glass free and loving it.

roadbuzz

Some people at work were talking about it today. I'm sketchy on details, but there's a newer procedure that works better... not all clinics have it yet. It might be the method that late was talking about. Prices for both eyes were something like $3600 for the old technique, ~$5000 for the new one.

The upshot was that it's not unusual for people that had it done to have to go back. One person went back once because of halos around lights after dark, another required 3 treatments to get things right. Ultimately I think they were both happy.

My eyes are super-nearsighted. I finally broke down and tried contacts 2 weeks ago. Now I wonder why I waited so long. But there are still times when I prefer my glasses. At the rate I'm going, maybe if I live to be 100, I'll break down and get the surgery.

Good luck with it!!

SadieKate

I've been incredibly nearsighted since 2nd grade and there is no way anyone is coming near my eyes with anything that is not a 100% guarantee. I've only got the one pair of eyes, non-replaceable. I have these incredibly comfortable 30-day extended wear disposable lenses that are well worth the hassle if it means no damage. For those of you who know what it means, I wear -7.0 dioptra lenses. Us nearly blind folks can have comfortable eyes even when camping with no surgeons involved.

shokhead

Suit yourself but if you do your homework just like buying a bike and find the right guy, you'll get it done without problem. Now if you go on the cheap and do one of the 499 jobs,there's a lot better chance of a return trip. Painless,quick and easy. No glasses for driving or reading as i needed. I wainted a couple of years,did a lot of reading and talked to a lot of people that had it done before i did it so this is a good place to get answers and start trhinking about it.

auroch

Getting Lasik earlier is better than later. 'Cause eventually
you'll have to wear reading glasses (as Fixer pointed out).
Some get monovision as a correction for this, but with kind of
sketchy results. Imagine turning your eyes into bifocals.
As for me I've been trouble free since they laser-ed me.

jeff

bnet1

You think -7 diopters is strong? I was at -19.75 diopters. Had bad eyes for a long time, since early childhood. Had to wear contact lenses starting at age 13. Wore them for fourty years, starting with "hard" lenses and changing to gas permeables later on. Soft lenses just would not do the trick. More recently I was diagnosed with the start of cataracts. I underwent eye surgery on both eyes where the normal crystalline lens is removed and a plastic implant lens is installed. The difference was like night and day. I have to wear glasses for closeup work but even with contacts I still needed reading glasses. I was back on the bike a couple of days after surgery. Since I also have macular degeneration I have to be vigilant of retinal detachment but so far it has been smooth sailing.

'bent Brian

shokhead

Monovision is much like contacts. One eye for reading and one for long distance. The brain adjusts and pretty soon you do to. Sometimes they will let you wear glasses to see what its like before you do it.