I had it done in 98. It transformed my shooting experience.

I had PRK done about 9 months ago, no cutting. Best think I ever did. It's great to be able to shoot or hunt with out glasses fogging up or getting wet. Best part of my surgery was that the Air Force paid for it. We have to wear respirators so our career field was one that qualified to get it done.

Hello,

I just wanted to let you share some of my experience about Lasik surgery. Refractive correction by PRK and Lasik started over 10 years ago, at least for the PRK technique. Since that time it got me interested since I had been wearing eye correction for most of my life. Before jumping in the boat and getting it done I did a great amount of research on the subject since my vision was all I had... I fly as an airline pilot here in Canada. To get a good idea of what can happen to you if things go wrong, I would suggest visiting or searching the Internet.

Lasik and PRK is a procedure which reshapes the cornea of the eye with a laser. Most surgeon now use the Lasik technique.

Here is how the procedure works.

An instrument called a microkeratome is used in LASIK eye surgery to create a thin, circular flap in the cornea. The surgeon folds the flap back out of the way, then removes some corneal tissue underneath using an excimer laser.The laser uses a cool ultraviolet light beam to precisely remove ("ablate") very tiny bits of tissue from the cornea to reshape it. When the cornea is reshaped in the right way, it works better to focus light into the eye and onto the retina, providing clearer vision than before. The flap is then laid back in place, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed. Both nearsighted and farsighted people can benefit from the LASIK procedure. With nearsighted people, the goal is to flatten the too-steep cornea; with farsighted people, a steeper cornea is desired. Also, excimer lasers can correct astigmatism, by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more normal shape.

Now that is what they tell you, and what you could expect... but not everyone will experience that!!!

Now people think that lasers are automated, fully capable of working on there own etc, etc. Well not all lasers are created equal, and for the laser to work, the surgeon needs to program and guide that laser on your eyes. Most people trust there doctors and believe Lasik is a miracle procedure. Drive to the clinic in the morning, take a pill, relax, a few minutes later you get the procedure done, and you go home after a couple hours. Well in most cases this is true but you have to know a few things first.

The laser reshapes your cornea... and you only have one in each eye. If you damage your cornea to the point where no more corneal tissue is left to correct the problem, the only way to fix it is to get a corneal transplant!!! When doctors tell you of success rate, they only tell you about the 20/20 chart. Having a 20/20 vision after Lasik does not mean that the operation was successful!!! What about having blurry vision, dry eyes, not being able to drive at night because of ghosting, double vision etc etc .

You see, some people are better candidates then others. I have astigmatism, mixed astigmatism to be exact and I am not a good candidate for the procedure. My pupils dilate to more then 8 mm in the dark which would give me problem at night!!! Not good when you fly for a living. Many many factors are involved in the good outcome of a Lasik procedure, so many parameters are involved that most people are not even aware of. So like most people you trust your surgeon... Before going for a free consultation, I researched the subject for months and months only to realize that while undergoing the routine examination in determining if I was a good candidate, many tests were ignored!!! At the end of the tests I was told that I was a good candidate for Lasik!!! That was not true! I was a poor candidate for a good outcome!!!

If you want to learn about what can go wrong with Lasik and PRK, give a visit to this site:

http://www.surgicaleyes.org/

Its the best site on the net for information on the matter. You will read testimonies of people who had it go wrong. And trust me, there are tons!!!

Guys and garls; we are finicky hunters and reloaders that will debate for hours or even days about which bullet is the best, which caliber is the best or the best all around cartridge. We will spend days trying to find a load that will generate the max velocity, best penetration while giving the best groups. Why are we not as picky or as intrigued by a procedure that could change your life for ever, your vision!!! Take a few hours, a couple days and research the topic!

Engima

I've been waiting for the first negative experience. 90% are not real good odds when it comes to my vision. That's 10 out of every 100. Perhaps knowledgeable people can tell me with scanning and execution computerised, why is it still so expensive and why is the "failure" rate so high?
Peter.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

I was considering having laser vision correction this spring. I am moderately short sighted. I have worn contact lenses since my eyesight deteriotated as a teenager.

I have had few problems with the lenses and used them for full contact martial arts training, where I stood in for the kick / punch bag, and also for horse riding.

I am, like lots of males, a complete wuss:

"Men have influenza,Women have colds" etc

So, it was with great apprehension I visited a top laser eye surgeon at Moorefield Eye Hospital in London. One of two of the best places to have the surgery done. They were very keen on the relatively new waveform Lasik & Lasek techniques.

However, I have read that the US military avaiation surgeons / authorities only 'sign off' the PRK method. The reason being Lasik etc involves cutting a flap in the eye. The US Navy surgeons are concerned that a blow to the head, depressurisation / ejection may cause the flap to peel back and blind the pilot.

There is concern how long / whether the eye really completly heals also. PRK on the other hand involves 'shaving' the front of the eye, so these particular problems do not exist.

I am not a doctor. I only post what I found out / feel. There is another eye speialist which, when I find the courage, i will ask for a second opinion. In things this important, always canvass the profession and ask them what they have had done to themselves.