Is Lasik surgery worth it if you already have good corrected vision?

[maximus83]

I have good corrected vision (soft contacts) of about 20/15. And with my corrected vision, I'm able to get excellent accuracy results in shooting with iron sights, even at longer ranges.

But I have two annoying issues. One is, I am nearsighted, with correction of -5.0 in my weak eye, and -3.75 in my dominant eye. This is nearsighted enough that I cannot really function anywhere without glasses or contacts on. But the good thing is, I get great vision with my contacts in, and have good eye health: the RX hasn't changed for 15 years. The other issue is the dreaded "aging eyes syndrome", which is starting to make it harder for me to focus on things up close, like my iron sights.

What are my best options for improving the vision situation? Should I look at Lasik or PRK surgery, so that I can eliminate (or at least reduce) the need for contacts/glasses? Or should I just continue to use corrective lenses, since with those I am able to get pretty good results? To be honest though, I don't know if the results with corrective lenses will be maintainable though, if my ability to focus up-close continues to deteriorate. At the same time, I've researched the surgery options, and while in one sense they sound great, there are a number of longer term concerns about eye health, reduction in quality of SOME aspects of people's vision, and the like. I'm also wondering if it's better to just live with the limitations of contacts and glasses.

Would be interested to hear how other guys have dealt with vision challenges.

[Mjolnir]

OH, MAN DON'T BRING THIS UP :mad:

I say that because I'm in the same situation as you and it angers me that I'm near-sighted and feel that I should have 20/1 vision. My mother probably wasn't eating her carrots, blue berry and bilberry when she was carrying me. I HATE eyeglasses.

One day I'll have the courage, though...

[30 cal slut]

interesting first hand account here:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=216249&highlight=lasik

[jepp2]

I was seriously nearsighted. I had worn glasses since the 4'th grade. I am very active outdoors, and while my vision was correct with glasses, they were always a pain due to rain, sweat, fog, etc.

I took the plunge and had LASIK 8 years ago. I am 20/20 in one eye, 20/10 in the other. I couldn't believe the FREEDOM of not having to wear glasses.

I can see the clock during the night without my glasses, I never have to worry about being "blind" if I break my glasses, I can wear whatever sunglasses I care to.

Unless I am trying to read the phone book in the early morning light, I still don't have to wear reading glasses (and they are way better than bifocals) and I'm 58 years old.

If I had it to do over, I would have done it 5 years earlier.

[montanadave]

I was extremely near-sighted (-7.50 and -6.25) and had LASIK at age 37 with excellent results. It was a real joy to wake up first thing and be able to actually see without fumbling around for coke-bottle bottom glasses or sticking in contacts. However, that was 13 years ago and I have developed some mild presbyopia and deteriorating night vision which is exacerbated by some of the "halo" effect secondary to LASIK (this varies significantly from patient to patient).

If I had it to do over, would I? Absolutely. Would I do it at my current age with the onset of additional age-related vision problems. Probably not. I suppose it really depends upon how annoying wearing glasses or contacts is for you. At that time of my life, it bugged the shit out of me. I had been wearing glasses and/or contacts since I was seven years old and I would have cut off my left nut with a rusty beer can to be able to see without lenses.

Now, when faced with other age-related vision problems which can't be readily corrected, it doesn't seem like such a big deal. But it was great while it lasted. My only regret was that the techniques weren't readily available when I was eighteen years old.

[The_War_Wagon]

Wow... to paraphrase Capt. Kirk in Star Trek V - "I want my glasses - I NEED my glasses!" :cool:

Guess I don't trust the procedure enough to try it yet. I'm terribly nearsighted (20/400 :eek:), but 20/20 with glasses. That's good enough for me.

[jmoore]

First - keep in mind that any surgery can have complications. Nuff said.

Second - the "aging eyes" you describe is known as presbyopia, and surgery will not correct or prevent that. Sorry to say, but it is d/t a progressive drying (dehydration) of the lens. Some get it earlier than others - but the vast majority of the population does get it - so you'll need glasses again:)

And finally - did you ever notice that the vast majority of the Dr.s who do this type of surgery WEAR GLASSES?????????? Nuff said x2 :)

FWIW - I'm severely myopic and astigmatic. I've also taught Pathophysiology for several decades, and there is no way in hell I would consider getting the surgery when the numbers are like yours! YMMV

OTOH - I did have a retinal detachment a few years back, and I am considering surgery to try and recoup some of the vision loss associated with that (already had the laser reattachment).

[Mjolnir]

First - keep in mind that any surgery can have complications. Nuff said.

Second - the "aging eyes" you describe is known as presbyopia, and surgery will not correct or prevent that. Sorry to say, but it is d/t a progressive drying (dehydration) of the lens. Some get it earlier than others - but the vast majority of the population does get it - so you'll need glasses again:)

And finally - did you ever notice that the vast majority of the Dr.s who do this type of surgery WEAR GLASSES?????????? Nuff said x2 :)

FWIW - I'm severely myopic and astigmatic. I've also taught Pathophysiology for several decades, and there is no way in hell I would consider getting the surgery when the numbers are like yours! YMMV

OTOH - I did have a retinal detachment a few years back, and I am considering surgery to try and recoup some of the vision loss associated with that (already had the laser reattachment).

I'm 20/15 with corrective lenses and I'm near sighted. I despise glasses and I wish I could just click my heels three times and make a wish... while I'm at it I'd wish for Gen III Night Vision, too. ;)

My fear is that I'll feel the pressure and flinch during the procedure. I know I heal very, very well but if for some reason there are complications I think I'd panic. I also have a partial detachment in my right eye which I don't think is correctable.

[jtb0311]

I had the LASIK in 2006. I was nearsighted, 20/400 in my left eye and 20/150 in my right; now they're better than 20/20. I was 32 when I had the surgery, and, among other things, I compared the cost of the surgery ($3600 or so) with the amount I was likely to spend on glasses for another 50 years ($200/year would have added up to $10000!)

I had my doubts too (I went in for the first exam in 204, and it took 2 years to get courage). One thing that helped was reading somewhere that U.S. Navy and USMC aviators were allowed to have LASIK. That community is very conservative about eye surgery.

I'd encourage you do go ahead and do it. It's fantastic.

[jtb0311]

I'm 20/15 with corrective lenses and I'm near sighted. I despise glasses and I wish I could just click my heels three times and make a wish... while I'm at it I'd wish for Gen III Night Vision, too. ;)

My fear is that I'll feel the pressure and flinch during the procedure. I know I heal very, very well but if for some reason there are complications I think I'd panic. I also have a partial detachment in my right eye which I don't think is correctable.

There are safeties built in just in case you DO flinch - the laser shuts off. When I had it they gave me a valium and numbed the hell out of my eyes. The greatest discomfort was the pressure of the device that held my eyes open - pressure on my eye sockets, not my eyeballs.

[jmoore]

I also have a partial detachment in my right eye which I don't think is correctable.

Any vision loss d/t the tearing of the neurons leading into the optic nerve is not correctable. Your brain tends to ignore those areas, if they're small enough. However, if you have significant "floaters" following a PVD or retinal tear, those ARE correctable - but that surgery scares the hell out of me too!

My retinal surgeon said that 25 years in martial arts (i.e., getting punched and kicked in the head:) didn't do me much good. Now, he won't even let me shoot a shotgun:(

[lanceriley]

I have astigmatism in my dominant eye. as you know astigmatism is very hard to correct with contact lenses.

pistol front sight has a taller shadow on the right. red dot is a 3 pointed star @ the 10, 1 and 7 oclock.

decided not to have lasik .. Im afraid I might not hit anything with the new vision. right now I can still hit the targets.

[VTLO910]

jtb is right on the money...

I too had Lasik done... I was 20/400 uncorrected... I DID my homework, and finally got the surgery... I now see 20/15.

The latest machines "track" your eye, so if you move it even slightly during the procedure it will follow... It is utterly amazing...

that being said... no matter if you have never needed glasses, or just had surgery, when you reach your late 30's/early 40's you will need to start looking at getting reading glasses or at least understand that your nearsighted vision will not be as good as when you were 18...

This will happen to ALL of us...

The only possible variation is if you wear bi-focals, and opt for the laser surgery in which they do one eye for far, and one for near... your brain somehow can adjust to allow you to see this way, but they only recommends this procedure for those who already use bifocals or have contact lenses set up in the same manner...

If your OK with your vision now, don't fret...

and remember, things can go wrong, you have to weigh this in your decision...

I got mine for two reasons. 1) I wanted the convenience of not having the "issues" that folks with glasses have. 2) I needed to have my vision corrected to qualify for my current job.

[CryingWolf]

My wife had it done when she got out of the Air Force. She swears by it and had me talked into it from time to time. I will probably have it done one of these days. Talking to her right now she says she loves the choice she made and is very happy she had it done.

[Ridge_Runner_5]

I'm 20/40 in my left eye, 20/120 in my right...I shoot right handed, and it sucks...I've actually noticed I'm shifting my pistol to the left when shooting..

I've been thinking for a while now about getting my right eye done...

[browningboy84]

I am 24 and had LASIK last year. I was a -3.75 and -3.5. I have used contacts for years, and have had no problems. I was using the extended wear contacts since
I work 24 hour shifts as a paramedic.

On a side note, I am the son of an opthamologist. My older siblings have all had LASIK. My dad did my surgery and felt very confident about it. I have shot firearms since I got my first gun at 8 years old. I have always had to use glasses or contacts when I shot. I even shot competitively in high school.

Having LASIK is a HUGE difference when you shoot. I could see better with the surgery. The freedom of not having to wear contacts/glasses is awesome. It also means a world of difference in my job, since my contacts would be dry and scratchy at night. The risk of complications is marginal, and the main complication of the surgery is "floaters or halos. You may have a glossy halo like effect at night. I solved the problem by buying a pair of amber shooting glasses. It worked like a charm at night. I did fine like this driving an ambulance. The other complication is the flap that they cut open to do the surgery is coming undone. Be careful not to rub your eyes.

All in all, LASIK is a wonderful surgery. If an eye surgeon who has been doing this procedure for 10 years now will do it on 3 of his kids, then you know it is a safe procedure,and it is very cost effective. After the age of 40, you are doomed to be using reading glasses. Dont kill me for saying this, but old age sucks from what I have heard.

[chadbag]

I did it a little over a year ago. I was 42 then. It is great not needing glasses. I was nearsighted and had been since I was in the 8th grade or so. I got tired of glasses and tried contacts a few times but they were a big PITA.

LASIK today is not like LASIK 8 or 10 or 15 years ago. The newer machines do not flatten your eye but can keep a curve to it which helps reduce or eliminate halo-ing. They also are much faster now and can track your eye.

The biggest thing is that now they can user lasers to cut the flap in your cornea to do the LASIK and no longer need to use a knife to cut the flap. (Intralase or something like that it is called). Once I read this, and that the Navy allows its pilots to fly in something like 7 days after doing it (what I heard in a few places, don't know if it is actually true) I decided to go look into it and did it. This laser flap cutting is important -- your cornea heals much faster with less complications and there is less risk of things screwing up as well when cutting the flap.

I had it done here:

http://www.hoopesvision.com/html/lasik.html

This is not a plug for them. They just have a good website that explains the various options. They also have like one of every existing laser out there and were the FDA test centers for some of them before they moved to SLC and were at their old practice in Kansas City. So the website has all kinds of informative stuff to help you understand how it works now.

[Erk1015]

I had PRK done 3 years ago, I was 20/200 before and I'm 20/10 in both eyes now. I'm only 24 and the doc said that I might need reading glasses when I get old like you guys :) But all said it was great. I know a couple of you guys are worried about flinching or something, but they use this clamp thingy to keep your eye open and basically you just look at this light for about 10 seconds. There's a part of the laser that watches your eye movement, because nobody can keep their eye completely still, and if your eye moves to far away from the lights then it cuts the laser off. I had an issue with one of the contacts they give you to wear for a week falling out and my eye got really red. My first thought was Oh @#&* I'm gonna be blind in one eye, but even after that I'm doing great. I did have to stay in bed for a few days after the surgery cracked out on Vicodin with the covers over my head to keep the light out, but it was still definitely worth it.

[Mjolnir]

Thanks a MILLION, guys. I wish I would have mentioned this in early 2007. I "chickened out" then... I read that the cornea would "never" heal and I don't think I found an answer within the time frame I had. I will definitely research that. It sounds weird (i.e., "not true").

I will definitely research the surgeons in my area.

[kry226]

Best money I have ever spent. No halos, no complications. Had mine done in 2002 and was watching TV that night.

[Shadow1198]

I have astigmatism in both eyes, though it must be minor because it wasn't tough to get contact lenses that work well for me. In the past few weeks, it's been the first time I've ever tried contacts. Although they were a PITA to get in at first, it's pretty easy now, and they work great. I had long consider LASIK, LASEK, PRK, etc etc, though these contacts have me sort of reconsidering. The thing that freaks me out about LASIK is I've heard the flap that they cut open on your eye never actually heals, so you'll always have that flap there. I just do not like the sound of that at all. I had heard with some of the other procedures out there like PRK or LASEK I think that they actually use a laser to seal the cut so there is nothing "loose" per se. Anyone have any advice about this? I'm thinking I might just save myself a lot of money and trouble and stick to contacts. ;)

[VTLO910]

I have astigmatism in both eyes, though it must be minor because it wasn't tough to get contact lenses that work well for me. In the past few weeks, it's been the first time I've ever tried contacts. Although they were a PITA to get in at first, it's pretty easy now, and they work great. I had long consider LASIK, LASEK, PRK, etc etc, though these contacts have me sort of reconsidering. The thing that freaks me out about LASIK is I've heard the flap that they cut open on your eye never actually heals, so you'll always have that flap there. I just do not like the sound of that at all. I had heard with some of the other procedures out there like PRK or LASEK I think that they actually use a laser to seal the cut so there is nothing "loose" per se. Anyone have any advice about this? I'm thinking I might just save myself a lot of money and trouble and stick to contacts. ;)

After you have the surgery you SHOULD avoid rubbing your eyes... Although onced fully healed it not gonna peel open like a sandwich bag over a orange.

without surgery your eye is structurally sound. Once it has that flap made by the laser, it just means that at the cut lines where that flap was will never be as strong as if it was never cut.

It wont flap open in the wind... As a matter of fact it starts to seal as soon as the surgery is complete.

So pretty much the advice is once healed to avoid rubbing your eyes... although I rub my eyes probably more now then I did before and never had an issue...

Worst case scenario to my knowledge, it opens and it has to heal again...

[JHC]

I'm 51 and have been nearsighted as long as I can recall. 20/200 or so by 18 then got worse to about 20/400. The age related reading problems were raising hell with my pistol shooting these last 4-5 years until I figured out with my optometrist to give me one full corrected contact and one about 75%. At that proportion, I don't notice any distortion with bino - vision and yet when I where the 75% corrected contact in my dominant eye, the front pistol sight is clear again. This has really worked out great as contacts work very well for me.
On top of seeing the pistol sights, I can read most text without reading glasses.

Recticles in scopes and red dots are not as clear however, unless I reverse my contacts and put the 100% contact lens in the dom eye. I rarely both since the margin of error is slight for my rifle shooting compared to the pistol shooting.

[texag]

Got PRK in January and now have 20/15 vision. I'm only 21 so I've got a long time before I need reading glasses and the freedom is awesome. I'm pretty active (hiking, running, biking) and it was getting extremely inconvenient to deal with glasses while sweating, and I could only wear contacts for 6 hours at a time due to dry eyes. Being able to wake up and go for a run without putting in contacts or constantly dealing with smudged and sweaty glasses is definitely worth the cost. Being able to go shooting and just taking along my m frames is great. Having PRK done has definitely changed my life for the better, the differences just can't be comprehended till you have it done, even if you have good corrected vision.