Fed up with foggy, sweaty, dust, scratched and rained on glasses etc whilst at work and on Safari so at present Im writing with blurred vision, whilst on the mend.

What has been your experience with this surgery?


What happen to the Antlers??
Cheers.

I had it about 3yrs ago and couldn't be happier with the results. Surgery was 8 minutes long and painless. Ask your eye doctor to recommend a place/surgeon. I'd aviod the $599 an eye places.

Hi: I am 56 yrs old and still have 20/16 vision but i need reading glasses. Does laser eye surgury fix that? Dan

My eyedoctor, who I have a lot of respect for -- she has treated sticks in the eye, scratched corneas, etc (all hunting accidents of sorts) regularly performs lasik surgery. I asked her about it. She said she could do it and it would likely improve my distant vision. But, due to my age, I would still have to wear reading glasses. I asked her what she recommended and she revealed that she, like me, wore contacts -- and reading glasses. That was enough for me.

Its the second best thing I had done (next to hip replacement). Its fantastic to be able to see clearly at a distance again without glasses.

Was not good for me. I have night vision problems and do not have as sharp of vision as I did with glasses. I would not do it again.

Had it done ten years ago, i.e. using stone-age technology compared to what they do today. Do I have some night-time haloes? Yes. Are my eyes slightly more sensitive to bright sunlight than before? Yes. Dry eyes? At times, yes. Do I still need reading glasses (I'm 52)? Yes.

Was it the best money I've ever spent, one of the best decisions I've ever made, and something that I would do again? YES!!! A few glitches, sure, but after wearing glasses every waking moment for 46 years I LOVE IT!!!

John

I have always dreamed of the day I'd be able to wake up and see clearly beyond 4 inches in front of my face.

OZ, enjoy your new eyeballs.

Had it done 4 years ago, best thing I have ever done, fed up with the dry contacts the foggy glasses etc, way to go.

stu

I had my eyes done about three years ago, and it was the best money I've spent in a long time.

My experiences are pretty close to jwm's. Had it done 10+ years ago and feel it was some of the best money I ever spent. I did have haloing(which ended after a year) and I do have some reduction of night vision and sometimes need reading glasses in low light/poor contrast conditions.

However, having much better vision than with corrective lenses, being able to hunt and fish all day in the rain without worrying about glasses fogging or dust getting under my contacts, not needing to mess with contacts while over nighting in the bush, being able to open my eyes at night and see everything around me without having to reach for glasses first are some of the advantages that made it worthwhile. The cost seems a lot but when you cost out glasses and contacts over 10+ years, having the surgery makes financial sense as well.

I would be very reticent to use someone who does a little lasik on the side or who works on the volume $399/eye basis. There are lots of quality outfits that specialize in just this surgery and who use the latest techniques.

You can have your correction done so that you do not need reading glasses but this is not an exact science (sometimes doesn't work) and compromises distant vision correction as it is accomplished by over correcting or under correcting (I have forgotten which) one eye.

As you can tell, the procedure gets 2 thumbs up from me.

Worst thing that's ever happened to me... I realized that the woman I had married did indeed have 2 left feet...akward. But, boy the pain pills were good... didn't get them from the surgery, but rather I stole them from my dying grandmother. Didn't make them any less fun though.

I fall into the category of an Old Balding Fat Man, on the downhill slide of a mediocre career, who has to wear cheater readers.
I pretty much quit using my iron sights cause I couldn't see em.

I complained to my eye doctor and she sent me to the contact lens doc. She got me to wearing 1 contact lens in my shooting eye.

What a difference! I can see my iron sights on my rifles and pistols. My left eye still does the distance work and it seems my brain or what's left of it compensates! Between that and the Burris FastFire I mounted on my Hollis 450/400 shooting iron sights and Red Dot is great again!

The lenses are throw away wear one day types. Nothing to keep up with. Take it out put another in!

Just my opine!

I had it because I couldn't wear contacts, and glasses were always fogging, getting rain on them, etc. Absolutely was life changing for a hunter. I ws 20/240, walked out 20/20, and was 20/15- 20/10 the next day. Like someone else said, I researched a lot, found who I thought was the best, drove 100 miles to get it done though there were 20 places here in town, and it was one of the more expensive places, but it was worth every peny and more.

I still can't see like most of the trackers I have been around in Africa!

I had the PRK done 18 months ago courtesy of Uncle Sam. I'm very pleased with the results. No more glasses for distance vision and only need reading glasses when I'm tired.

I have thought about getting this surgesy done. However at age 50, I wonder how long it will be until my vision 'changes' and I need reading glasses. Secondly, I wear soft contacts and correct to 20/10. My guess is that the surgery would leave me with sight less acute than my corrected vision. I can not see trading a bit of ease in putting in contacts for vision.

I"ve worn glasses since first grade so I guess I'm just used to them. As long as I can get corrected vision w/glasses or contacts I'll pass on the surgery. You can get dentures if the dentist messes up, you can get hearing aids but you can't get new eyes.

1999 for me. Great result, but my vision is now deteriorating. I cannot be retreated because I am at risk of developing kerataconnus or bulging corneas, which may be what is occurring now. Now I require glasses for distance vision. Still wouldn't trade it for anything. I had a great 10 year run after wearing glasses everyday since I was 5 years old.

I have 20/10 vision post surgery. I still need reading glasses. No problems at all.

My girlfriend was damn near blind. She got the LASIK. She was crying on the way home because she could see things she could never see before. She has had no problems at all.

I've been wearing glasses since junior high and i tried contacts for a couple years. I'm 29 now and i really hate wearing glasses other than the fact they make me see. Contacts suck, i have an astigmatism which makes wearing them difficult. I've been thinking about surgery for several years now, good info here. I think it's time to save some money and go for it.

quote:

Had it done ten years ago, i.e. using stone-age technology compared to what they do today. Do I have some night-time haloes? Yes. Are my eyes slightly more sensitive to bright sunlight than before? Yes. Dry eyes? At times, yes. Do I still need reading glasses (I'm 52)? Yes.

Was it the best money I've ever spent, one of the best decisions I've ever made, and something that I would do again? YES!!! A few glitches, sure, but after wearing glasses every waking moment for 46 years I LOVE IT!!!

+1. Almost my history to a T. Had it done 10 years ago after 40+ years of Coke Bottles. Sometime need readers, but that beats the H... out what I used to need.

Don

I am 52 and would like a surgery that corrected both near and far vision. As all have stated on this thread lasik will address the distance issue but not reading.
Crystal lens surgery will address both but is expensive. Basically they replace the lens in your eye.
It is basically cataract surgery, they just charge you 3X as much and market it differently (RIP OFF!)
I ask my internist about these surgery's. He said surgeons that make a living at operating on people will not even consider it. Their eyes are their lively hood. Makes me question all these procedures.

$10K for both eyes on crystal lens. Sure would be nice to see like I could 30 years ago.

EZ

I am 55. I had lasik 12 years ago, "drifted" and had it redone last fall.
I had been 20/10 as a young man. As my eyes aged and lost accomodation, I became farsighted, and felt blind at 20/30. I was wearing 2.75 diopter cheaters. After sugery, I am about 20/13. I need 1.75 diopter cheaters. Open sights are usable, but a little more challenging than 30 years ago. I'd do it again.
There is , other than crystal lens, nothing that can be done surgically for presbyopia (old eyes) other than over correcting, leaving you nearsighted. Some procedures have been tried, but seem to have fallen by the wayside. I'd love to not need readers, but will acccept this if I have my distance vision back.

I'm with RVL III

I've worn glasses since junior high. I don't find them to be a nuisance. In fact I like the idea that there is something between my eyes and something wanting to get in my eye. I read, and do computer (and other up-close) work without glasses. The vast majority of friends that had the surgery loved the results. Only two mis-fired. One friend now reads with the page two inches from his face.

I'm O.K. with multi-focal, adjust-to-light lenses. There are more important things in life than worrying about whether to wear glasses. I guess the deciding factor for me was that I wouldn't actually being doing-away with glasses. I watch all my friends put on sun glasses when they get outside; they fog, they get lost, they break, they have to be put somewhere. Me, I just walk in and out of sunlight and don't have to screw with the on-off-on-off-off-on. Life is good.

Get the opinion of an eye doc who DOES NOT do the procedure before doing it. Consulting someone who makes their living doing lasik is like asking a bankruptcy attorney if you should file for bankruptcy.

It was explained to me this way by a professional: Your eyesight changes at defined points in your life (adolescence, middle-age, etc.) and can actually reverse your problem- often lasik exacerbates this because you can't reverse the procedure. In other words, you are 40 and far-sighted, you get lasik to correct the problem; at 50 you become nearsighted but your eye's "lens" has already been altered...now you can't see a damn thing.

I'm not telling you not to do it, but you only get one set of eyes so do your homework first (which does not include taking medical advice on the internet!).

Had lasik one this Feb while in Dallas, was having problems acquiring the sights on my 1911. Had a procedure called mono vision, where one eye,right, was corrected for distance while the left was corrected for short range vision. I do not see as well at distance as with glasses, but a hell of a lot better than without. I can see my rifle and pistol sights without switching between the upper and lower sections of my bifocals. Still some problems with my left eye, however, I suffered some nerve and muscle damage while on active duty-may never be perfect-but bets glasses at my 68 years

Lasik is the ticket! I had it done 5 years ago and wish I had done it 15 years ago. In my opinion it's a no brainer!

Don't know about now, but a few years ago the FAA would not issue a flight physical to a lasik candidate. That may have since changed, but if you ever hope to get a pilot's license, check with a Flight Surgeon first.

I had the crystal lens operation 2 months ago with 20/20 results but my right eye still had some astigatism so the at no chage they did a Lasik procedure 5 days ago with no problems or halo. I am very please so far. I can read and see fine at a distance.

quote:

Lasik is the ticket! I had it done 5 years ago and wish I had done it 15 years ago. In my opinion it's a no brainer!

+1 Went across the border to Canada. $1000 for both eyes. I have since sent 6 people, all no problems.

I had mine about 6 years ago....

I was one of those nightmare cases who was almost blind for 6 months and then required a corrective lasic surgery and then I had punctile occlusions to relieve severe dry eye and after all that I had halos for a year and now my night vision still sucks....

BUT!!!

I went from coke bottle lenses to needing NO vision aids at all from 3 ft to infinity and I test at 20/20 in the left eye and 20/30 in the right eye and couldn't be happier.

It was worth it all and I'd do it all over again.

My doctor refused to give up and the followup surgeries were free and I'm like a new man.

One of the advantages that is worth it's weight in gold is being able to use field glasses to their fullest advantage.

Yes... Do it!

$bob$

I started asking my eye doc about it in 1994 and every year at my checkup he'd tell me he didn't recommend it. That routine went on till 2006 when he said that his opinion had changed--and he felt the technology was finally there and would recommend it for his kids (I grew up with them). He recommended a doc and a month later I had the Wavefront Lasik and my vision is 20/20. In additiion to both these doctors local practices, they are both eye surgeons at Wills Eye Hospital here in Philly.
FYI--they both did say that with age comes normal changes to vision and though Lasik corrected my nearsitedness (long distance) it doesn't stop from needing reading glasses later in life. Also, adjustments (retreatment) could be needed over the years depending on the individual. There are a few differenty types of vision correction surgeries--each has it's own plus/minuses.

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:
Don't know about now, but a few years ago the FAA would not issue a flight physical to a lasik candidate. That may have since changed, but if you ever hope to get a pilot's license, check with a Flight Surgeon first.

Approved now by FAA, even approved in the military in most cases.

I had mine done 12 years ago and I have better then 20/20 vision. My wife also had it done and has perfect vision. Best money I ever spent.

quote:

Originally posted by DuggaBoye:

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:
Don't know about now, but a few years ago the FAA would not issue a flight physical to a lasik candidate. That may have since changed, but if you ever hope to get a pilot's license, check with a Flight Surgeon first.

Approved now by FAA, even approved in the military in most cases.

Correct. Our civlian counterparts in the Air Farce has approved it for years and the Navy (we tend to be a bit more neanderthal) is not far behind. jorge

I plan to do it at the end of this year. I'm sick of contactlensesand my glasses. Both produced me allkind of problems and it would be awesome to get rid of them.

Best money I EVER spent!!!! No more foggy glasses, can see as soon as I wake up. No more salt spray on the ocean no more rain on them....Get it?

I got it, I love it. Perfect in every way. The USAF even has approved it for pilots.

I had lasik 11 years ago and it was and is great!
I gave lasik surgery as a Christmas gift to my adult daughter who was more nearsighted than I, and she now has 20/20 vision.

NOTE: Use a specialist with many thousands of successful lasik operations - like Dr Booth in Dallas. This will minimize the chances of an OOPS! (something you never want to hear from a surgeon) and you should be OK.

quote:

Originally posted by DuggaBoye:

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:
Don't know about now, but a few years ago the FAA would not issue a flight physical to a lasik candidate. That may have since changed, but if you ever hope to get a pilot's license, check with a Flight Surgeon first.

Approved now by FAA, even approved in the military in most cases.

That's interesting. Good on it.