LASIK

[eXtreme0327]

I have pretty bad vision at distance, which mean I either need to wear my glasses (which have a pretty narrow field of clear vision) or contacts (which float around sometimes and make my vision blurry and are not as clear as my glasses) while shooting. I was thinking about doing LASIK to bypass both of the problems. Anyone have any experience with LASIK?

[Aray]

I had Custom LASIK done in Jan of 2007, and have absolutely no regrets. Don't shop for price.

[WobblyPossum]

I had LASEK done last June. It differs from LASIK in that no flap is cut in your eye, preventing the most common kind of complication associated with vision correcting surgeries (the cut flap coming loose somewhere down the road from trauma such as a blow to the head, etc). It was more expensive than LASIK and took a few days longer to heal but I think it is the greatest thing I've ever done. I used to be double legally blind, which is somewhere around 20/400. Let's just say my glasses were a little bit on the thick side.

Anyway, my vision stabilized after four months to somewhere around 20/20 or 20/15. Everything is crisp and clear and I've never been happier. With regards to shooting, my doctor ended up over-correcting my vision because I am still in my early 20's and my eyes will continue to mature. I will be a tad far sighted for the next few years and I have to concentrate a little harder to pick up the front sight clearly.

I say go for it. You will be glad you did. My only advice is to do your research on all of the different procedures and pick a reputable surgeon with a lot of experience. My surgeon had done over 13,000 LASEK procedures prior to mine and 100% of his patients are legal to drive at night (20/40 or better).

[turbolag23]

i'm looking to have it done next year, everyone i've talked to has said its one of the best things theyve ever done and wish they had done it sooner.

[Koup]

Almost 10 years since I had my LASIK surgery, and no regrets. Absolutely love it, and have had no problems. Finally convinced my wife to also do LASIK, and she loves it too. If only it was that easy to convince her to like firearms...

[YVK]

..is non-existent, in a systematic way. This is why I haven't done it, although I can afford it and I would love to ditch glasses.
My job requires me to present outcomes data of various medical procedures and treatments to patients. I like good, systematic, well analyzed data, based on large, rigorously designed studies.
Lasik as a relatively mainstream procedure has been available for about 15 years. We have no systematic data or follow-up. Just like somebody above, I know people who wished they'd done it sooner. I also know that people were hurt - but not too many. And I also know people going their second procedure in 10 years.
It may surprise some, but the very first attempt to get some sort of pooled data was started less than 2 years ago by FDA, and first part of it is just a questionnaire - which, from scientific standpoint, is not very clean data. The first clinical trial is not supposed to get finished before 2012.
Personally, I am not particularly worried about bad immediate outcome - the safety profile in real world use seems to be reasonable, lack of systematic analysis nonwithstanding. I am not even concerned with repeat procedures - that happens with many treatments. What I am most scared is this: we know very well that human eye changes significantly with age, and I have no idea if what gives me 20/20 at age 40 won't lead to irreversible vision loss when I am 70. Therefore, I am sticking with glasses for now; after all, they make me look smarter.

[MTechnik]

I have thought about it a few times.

But I knew someone that had an earlier eye surgery technology used, and while his vision was better, he'd occasionally (about 2-3x a week during work hours) get massive headaches requiring him to sit in a dark office for an hour. I've heard about folks having issues with their eyesight after lasik - some astigmatism like symptoms at night - don't need to make my astigmatism worse.

For now, and since my glasses aren't a heavy scrip, and I need my eyes to look at a computer monitor all day, I'll just keep wearing glasses.

[jar]

YVK's post is exactly why I haven't done it. I'm only 28, so I hopefully have a long time ahead of me. I got extended wear contacts a few years ago, and get 95% of the benefit. I put them in for about 30 days at a time, and wear glasses for a day or two in between. The only time it wasn't just as good was when one fell out at ECQC.

[LOKNLOD]

As soon as I can stop cranking out kids and blowing all my medical budget on my wife's baby bills - I'm doing it. I'm frakkin' BLIND without my glasses or contacts. If I put the rear of the slide of my pistol directly against my cheek, the front site is too far out for me to focus on.

The question for me is more about can it be done and which method is viable for me. My usual doctor was concerned that Lasik may not be an option and I have to go with some sort of implants? Sounded expensive and risky. I'd keep contacts before doing anything like an implant, I think.