For those who've had vision correction surgery

darli ann

darli ann

Cathlete
I decided 2008 was going to be the year to get laser surgery on my eyes and am disppointed in what I learned from the doctor I went to recently. I'm near-sighted and wear glasses or contacts for distance. He told me they can correct my vision to see distance with no lenses, but then I would need them for close up. So I'd have to wear glasses anyway. Okay, well, what's the point???? Should I get another opinion or does this sound right to you? I had no idea that's what the surgery did. I was under the impression the procedure changed the shape of your eye to give you 20/20 vision so you could give up the glasses for both near and far. Anyone have any opinions on this? Thanks in advance! :)

Darlene
 
I got the surgery in 2002 and I haven't had a single problem with up-close vision. Maybe you have a different issue than I did (I was near-sighted as well). My doc told me that I *may* have to wear reading glasses as I age (which is quite normal), but that was it. I say get a second opinion.

Carolyn
 
I was told the same thing. even people who have good vision usually need reading glasses after around 50. My SIL had vision correction surgery & they corrected one eye to see distance, the other to see close. called monovision. She's in her mid fifties & is happy. I am doing the same thing with contact lenses, one eye is corrected more strongly than the other so I can see both near & far but not willing to surgically fix things that way. why not get another opinion so you can be sure you have looked at all the options? I'm personally not willing to trade one set of glasses for another.
 
I'll give you another perspective. I had PRK back in 2001, had my son in 2004 (vision became blurrier while PG - side effect) and then my vision went back to what it was to begin with. Sucked. I'm not sure if I will do it again or not.


Debbie


Google. It is there for a reason.
 
Darli Ann, how old are you? My eye doctor told me the same thing. She said she does not recommend the surgery for people over the age of 40. I wonder if she recommends it for younger people? I may research this now just because I'm curious. (ETA: Not that I'd let anyone near my eyes in a million years. I'm extremely risk averse.)
 
I had it at 41 - being practically legally blind to 20/15 was, I kid you not, a miracle that gave me chills....yes, it will speed the process of farsightedness that comes with age.....it really didn't hit me till this year - I'm 46, can still see 20/15, but I need reading glasses - not for the computer, but just reading...is it worth it? I would do it again in a heartbeat! Its been 5 years and made EVERYTHING more beautiful - from exercise, to nature, to being in bad weather with no glasses steaming up, it has been wonderful.
 
I had the same experience as Carolyn and Traildoggie. I love the surgery. I had it in 2005 and I was near sighted with an astigmatism. I was really legally blind with 20/200 vision be/f the surgery. I am now 20/20 and can read on the 20/15 line!! I have heard (from Dr. and others) that pregnancy can adversely affect the surgery and require new surgery for correction. I am/was in my 30's when I had it done. Dr. also said I will need reading glasses when I age- that is normal.
 
I had the surgery in April of 2007 and can confirm what the others have said. It can fix your overall vision and astigmatism's - but cannot correct the potential need for reading glasses in the future for me. (The over 40 factor the Dr called it.) I was 38 at the time and I would do it again in a heartbeat. My eyes werent too bad to begin with R 20/80 L 20/100 but I also had an astigmatism. The only thing I can say now is - High Def Baby! It is amazing how crisp and clear everything it... I can now see at 20/15.... I am no where needing to get reading glasses yet....

It is worth it!!! :)
 
Hi all...

I had the surgery in May of 2005 & have been absolutely overjoyed with the results. Like others have said, everything is so much more crisp, clear, & beautiful than I have ever seen it before. I went through my first consultation about 10 years before finally deciding to have the surgery. Like Nancy, I have always been very risk-adverse & it took many years to convince myself to take the plunge. Fortunately, the surgery actually improved during those years & I was able to have Lasik when I finally convinced myself. I am 39 years old so I was 37 when I had the surgery & my vision was 20/750 in one eye & 20/1000 in the other. So I was not only legally blind, I was seriously disabled without my glasses. For me, it has truly been a miracle but I'm not sure I would have done it if my vision hadn't been as bad as it was. Would I do it again under the same circumstances? YES! As for the other question regarding reading glasses... according to my doctor, my surgeon, & all the literature I have ever read regarding the surgery the answer is yes, we will all still need reading glasses... unless, of course, they make any other advances in vision correction in the meantime. From what I understand, the muscles in our eyes lose strength, creating the need for glasses as we age. But the surgery can actually delay the need for reading glasses & that's what I'm hoping for myself. For me, the need for reading glasses is not a problem at all. Since my vision was so bad, needing glasses to read is nothing like being incapacitated without my vision lenses. Anyway, even though I have had such a life changing experience, I always tell people that it is a deeply personal decision & I was scared to death to have it done. So I think it is worth lots of research & more than one opinion. I also went to TLC which is the center that actually performed the first surgery in the United States. They are also very meticulous in their approval process. They ran me through a series of tests, then sent me to my regular optometrist for more testing, & did the entire series of tests again on the day of my surgery. They really leave nothing to chance & I felt good about my decision when it was time for my surgery. Also, when it was time for my procedure, I was sent to a pre-op room with 4 other people... 3 who were in line in front of me, waiting for their procedure, & 1 who had just had it done. So not only were we able to talk to one another & the person whe had just had it done, I was able to see 3 others come out of surgery before I even went in for mine. That helped put my mind at ease more than anything else. Plus, one other girl had an even worse prescription than mine (mine was the second worse of the day) & she left the technicians & even the doctor in tears. Heck, I started crying when it was time for me to sit up & read the clock across the room. Anyway, I'm so sorry to have written so much but I just wanted to share my story. Again, I think it is a deeply personal decision & shouldn't be made lightly. Good luck!:)
 
My SIL had worn glasses/contacts for decades when she had the surgery2 years ago. she's the only person I know who had her correction done so one eye can see close, the other distance.I don't think her vision was bad to begin with.

I'm running up on the big 6-0 and have good close vision. Even with my contacts in, I can read fine print. prefer to read without lenses. Monovision means one eye has a stronger correction, the other is less corrected. somehow your brain figures out which eye to look thru to see far or close most effectively. My dominant eye has the stronger correction. I was told not everyone adapts to this but with contacts it's not a risk. if you don't like it you return the lenses. for me, getting surgery to correct distance would put me in reading glasses.
Also, you need ( as far as I know) to go without contacts for a month before having any kind of surgical correction. I never learned to function with glasses and would be unable to do this.
 
Thanks for your input everyone! I knew some of you here had had this surgery and normally everyone raves about the results, thus my disappointment. I'm doing the monovision thing with a contact lens now to train my brain to see this way. It's tolerable but I don't love it so I'm not sure I'd want to let them permanently correct one eye. I just turned 48 so I knew my age would hinder this alittle. I'm going to investigate a little further but if I have to stay in contacts or glasses that's okay. ;)
 
I had Lasik in 2004 and went from Coke bottle glasses to none. Even if I had needed some glasses @ that time I'd have done it in a heartbeat (and still would). Thick glasses to thin ya know.

My boss also had it, but has to wear glasses for distance because he had really thin corneas. He said the lifestyle change has been tremendous though and would definitely do it again.

All that said, I think you should get a 2nd opinion and be sure of what you want to do.
 
I also had the surgery, in June 2004, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made!! I can't even remember what it was like to not open my eyes in the morning and see things clearly!! As for the reading glasses, I was told the same thing basically, that if I were naturally to need reading glasses in the future before the surgery, then I would likely still need them after. It doesn't affect the need for them if you would have naturally needed them anyway. The guy that did my surgery was one of the first to do it and was one of the Dr.'s who came up with one of the machines widely used now, and is pretty highly respected, so I am pretty sure that is accurate information.

Lanie: BTW, I don't know for sure, but I think that once the surgery is done, it puts your eyes on an even playing field, so I don't think that your right eye would continue to get worse as far as the nearsightedness. What they do is they re-shape the cornea, and once they do that it is supposed to be permanent. The reading glasses are a whole different thing... but once they fix the shape of the cornea I believe that is it. But check. My eyes also got worse through the years and now that is not supposed to be an issue anymore.
 
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