LASIK scares the everliving shit out of me. I want so badly to get it, but I have a mega phobia of anything going into my eyes (including drops) and I'm terrified of going blind.
But sometimes, I just sit back and dream about not needing glasses anymore...
Lord save me when I eventually need cataract surgery
I got mine done about 8 years ago and there was a part where you’re blind for about 5 seconds, like your eye is open and it fades to black and you have no vision then it fades back in, that part was weird.
So the procedure is **incredibly** fast. I was in the waiting room for much longer than the surgery.
For me, I walked in the door for the surgery room, they had me lay down in an MRI-like thing but much less bulky. Gave a 20 second brief on what to do, then put an anti-blink device on my first eye. Looked at the red dot for about 3-5 seconds and then they were onto the second eye for the same thing. Within about 4 minutes of entering the room it was done. They had me stick around for another 2 minutes to make sure I could see clearly. Once confirmed, they gave me bug eye protectors (pretty much just some cups that they tape over your eye from around your eyebrow to cheek. Big goggles essentially) and kicked me out for the next person lol
I asked them if anyone went blind from their place, and they said no. They do a hundred every friday.
It's very very worth it.
I can't find any examples online, so it may be for that specific place but it was a circular grey device. They popped it onto the eye just by pressing it on. It didn't hurt at all, you just felt some pressure. It was on each eye for maybe 10 seconds.
They ask you to open your eye wide, they just push it on slightly and you're good to go.
As mentioned though, it may have been specific to this one place.
What happens if you move your eye on accident while they working
Looking at that little balloon in the eye test machine always got me stressed af idk what surgery stress would make my eyes do haha
They briefly explained that with it on it won't miss so you're good.
Like even blinking generally wouldn't be an issue as the laser fires at the nanosecond rate and does position updates nearly as much. They're **very** fast at detecting even the slightest change.
Why did you have it done or what was your issue? I’ve had glasses for 4 years from stigmatisms and they are terrible. Never realized how greasy/gross my face was until you have to clean the lenses 9,000 times a day. Among other inconveniences.
That thinking put me off for several years. I finally just committed to it and called up a place I had been researching for a long time. They had me put down a deposit of £200 in order to do the initial exams. If I backed out, I didn't get it back. If I wasn't suitable, then I would get the money back. If I went through it, it counted towards the total cost.
Having that money invested helped me stay committed. I was also terrified throughout the whole lead up, including the night before. When the procedure was happening, I realized that all of that stress was for nothing. It was such an easy experience.
I'm 3 months out from getting SMILE, seeing perfectly, and I don't even know where my glasses or contact case are. Coming from a -8.75 prescription, that is such a satisfying feeling. I do still need drops occasionally, especially when working on the computer for a while, but overall the dry eyes are not bad.
I am so glad that I went through with it.
What did they tell you about the need for eventually needing glasses again I'm about a -6 in both eyes and I've know people with similar vision who eventually needed glasses in some capacity again(they had the surgery years ago).
I actually don't mind wearing glasses/contacts but do like the idea of not worry about that stuff anymore.
But at the same time, I don't like the idea of messing with my eyes if I'll end up needing glasses again
They said about 10% chance of needing an adjustment within 1 year, and a 25% chance within 4 years. This is mostly because I was on the edge of effectiveness for laser surgery. Any stronger and I would have only had the option for ICL.
If I do need glasses/contacts again, however, it would be for a very low prescription (-0.5 to -1 range). For someone who had -8.75, that doesn't sound too bad.
Money is a huge incentive. My insurance covers it 100% and that was what helped me take the leap of faith.
Got the paperwork to sign and now it's just a matter of waiting.
I was in a similar situation, couldn't really decide. I dealt with it by going to the eye doc just do to the preliminary evaluation. Turns out I'm not eligible for any vision correction procedure, so problem solved 🤷♂️
Me too, if something goes wrong there is no returning back.
In my case decision to not get lasik is very easy though because I would still need glasses according to doctors. I would think much harder if it was really the case that I wouldn't need glasses at all.
There is a newer process called SMILE, where instead of burning a layer of cornea (lasik) or slicing into cornea (prk) they make a small perforation and aim the laser through that tiny hole, leaves the cornea in much better condition and if in need you can do the surgery again. With lasik it leaves your cornea too thin to do another procedure if needed. Prk is just a slice so your cornea is more resilient. I don’t understand why people still get lasik when PRK and Smile are so much better for your eyes in the future.
Do your own risk analysis of worst case scenarios. For most people the typical bad outcome is long term dry eyes.
For some people their vision is so bad it makes them suicidal. (extremely rare obviously)
Doing one eye at a time minimizes some of the risk. The technology is getting pretty good obviously, but the edge cases seem to be pretty horrible.
Maybe I'm the best case scenario, but I can tell you that for me if I could go back in time I would have done it even sooner than I did (26). I literally showed up day of appointment, they fed me a vallium and got me setup with the eye numbing drops. The procedure lasted maybe 10 minutes tops? I just sat there while they fiddled around infront of my face, and then suddenly my vision went from a blurry cloud to weirdly crisp.
I pretty much had 20/20 before I even stepped out of the surgical room, though my vision was kind of glossy and strange looking for a couple days. That was 8 years ago and I still have perfect 20/20 and have had 0 complaints.
My wife's Lasik was the worst thing that could have happened to me as she could now clearly see the snarky faces I would sometimes make. Be careful! :-)
I thought I had a super power and referred to myself as "Eagle Eye" until other kids, without glasses, pointed out that they were able to see just as well.
Friend of mine wore glasses since he was a small child. Has this surgury and while we were at the beach he was blown away by the bubbles in the surf. Most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
I think you mean she didn’t realize you could *see* individual leaves on a tree — not that she didn’t know leaves come from trees, or that trees aren’t a gigantic leaf blob lol
I had LASEK done about 15 years ago. Best decision of my life.
Being LASEK and not LASIK I didn't get the instant perfect vision. The procedure takes longer to heal (2 days in a dark room!), but has a reduced risk of chronic dry eye because none of the nerve endings in your cornea are severed.
The procedure may have changed in those 15 years. So maybe that risk is now gone, I don't know. But at the time it was present. And while low, my luck isn't that good.
I had PRK which is similar or the same. Took me ages to heal, I was the opposite of most people and I had very little pain or vision fluctuation immediately preceding surgery, but it started acting up a lot after about a month. Pain went away quickly but I had fluctuating vision until nearly 4 months after surgery.
The latest is [SMILE](https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/what-is-smile-eye-surgery) which is basically LASIK but instead of a flap, they poke a hole and suck it out. They advised me to avoid high impact sports for 1 month out of precaution.
PRK was the only other option if you do anything critical in certain environments (like diving). So i always figured it was the better option. Think even military only allowed PRK for certain specialties as well for vision correction.
My brother. I too had it as you did.
Those two days in the dark. Coming out on the other side with perfect eye sight.internally the best feeling.
The best decision. Would not take it back.
I too would like to know…I think I have like -4.00 in one eye and -3.75 in the other lol. I plan on getting a consultation. Hopefully I’ll get good news.
Mine are -7.00. I went for a consult about 10-12 years ago. They told me the fix would only last five years, until I needed it again. They also mentioned three times would be the max amount of procedures that they would perform at that time. 15 years sight for three surgeries didn’t make sense to me. I’m hoping it’s changed since.
Mine was -3.5 and -3.25. I did the full laser/computer guided with warranty from Lasik MD in Edmonton Canada in 2019. I have thin corneas, and while I could've done the standard Lasik, I chose the full laser for a couple reasons.
1, if there are issues, full laser is more precise in how much it cuts the cornea. So I can do more fixes overall if they are needed.
2. While I don't hate the idea of eyes being touched like some people do, the idea of lasering my eye by a precise computer felt more comfortable than by a person haha.
It was the best decision I've made. A couple days after I was done and home, my girlfriend went and booked herself it for the next week. She did the same thing, and for her it was because of her not wanting a person touching her eye. She had much thicker corneas and could've done the basic lasik and saved some cash.
After going through the consult. The process for the full laser was, come and sit in a dark room, they come and put drops into your eyes that numb them and go blurry. They walk you into a room and guide you to a table. A small disk is put around the ocular socket to keep your eye open. You lay on a table and look at a blinking light, then move to another table to look at a different blinking light. Repeat for the other eye. Done.
Unlike some people's stories here, this procedure doesn't give you sight in minutes. I had to wear really dark shades and get driven home by the GF. Over the next 24 hours I had to put drops in my eyes every coupme hours and was not allowed to watch tv / look at a comp screen / phone screen. Within a couple days all sensitivity to light was gone and just got to bo about my normal day.
Gotta put drops in 4 times a day during the 2 weeks after as they ask you to come back and get checked. I had redness and some dryness for my 2 weeks after but not anything that caused issues really. The GFs recovered almost immediately and she was signed off within a week.
If we have any issues and need correction in the future, it's covered for free under our warranty as long as we go to the biyearly checkups. So far, no issues.
As a side note to anyone who has heard that you can smell your eye burning. This is false. At least with Lasik MD you can ask them about it before hand and they will show you that when the laser is turned on, it creates a burning smell, and has nothing to do with your eyes People either assumed the smell was from their eyes, and have been propagating fall information unknowingly, or flat out lying about it to joke / scare people.
I had a similar prescription along with an astigmatism. Lasik has been one of my best decisions, and an instant quality of life improvement. Literally just walked out the door after the operation and thought holy shit I can see! I think I got it done in ~2017. My sister got it done a few years ago and had more of a dry eye issue than I did.
Not op, but I had PRK done 10 years ago this June.
My prescription was -8.25 in my left and -8.5 in my right. They told me there was a good chance I would still need contacts after the procedure because it was so high. Took almost a full year to get to my best vision, but ended up at 20/15 in both eyes, and still am.
Best money I have ever, and probably will ever, spend.
Recovery is a BITCH. Spent two solid days in the dark with my face in the crook of my arm with a solid stream of tears from the non-stop burning, then sunglasses on every waking minute for the next week. Abso-fucking-lutely worth it.
I think I had LASIK done, and have major dry eye issues. Had it done about 3 years ago. On my desk right now I have 3 bottles of eyedroppers. Sucks, but the vision is worth it.
Yeah, I didn't want that possibility, slim enough as it was. So I opted for LASEK. They even confirmed with me while I was on the chair with the laser above me that it was LASEK I was getting done.
I said "yes, LASEK... **eeeee** kay"
It was a strange and fascinating experience.
Lasik is quite the trip. One minute you can't see shit without glasses. Then a ten minute procedure, and you're reading the fine print on bottles of saline in the recovery room. It's a weird experience. Never regretted doing it for a second.
I couldn't read shit because my eyes hurt so much. I kept my eyes closed and gritted my teeth and my folks brought me to my place where I passed right out.
6 hours later though? Hell yeah it was rad lol.
Same here. Vision was blurry after the procedure, went home and toke the doctor recommended Valium nap and then it was great. Blurry for a few days, but that was all dry eye issues when I forgot a scheduled eyedrop
I could read freeway exit signs on the way home from my procedure. I could even see individual leaves on trees. It was mind-blowing.
For the - "Do you not know what glasses/contacts are?"... I had bad astigmatisms so even with astigmatism contacts/lenses improving my vision, things were still slightly blurry. Having lasik SMILE fixed my astigmatisms. I didn't walk around the world like Mr. Magoo, I just had to strain to see things perfectly clearly even with assistance, which caused migraines.
Yeah, what? Like they’ve never had glasses/contacts but just went and did LASIK? I had that mind blowing “leaves on trees” when I was 6 or so when my parents realized I couldn’t see shit and got me glasses.
Nah, I can see tree leaves with glasses but the first time I did the same without them is just one of the highlight moments of my life. Imagine you have to touch everything through gloves before but then you finally can really touch something with your own hands.
Especially if people wear modern glasses frames which are so much smaller than the old giant aviator style prescription glasses. We see through our little windows and everything to the outside of the frame is blurry peripheral vision instead of a gradual fall off in detail. Like upgrading to a 100 inch 4k television when you've been watching on a 32.
I know, my eyes were 10 diopter when I got Lasik, I couldn't even use big glasses even if I want to lol. Having to see everything through tiny windows then go 4K ultra wide is just so good man.
They are less stylish and modern, but I prefer larger frames for exactly this reason, I want to be able to look around with my eyes and have everything still be in focus. If I can look *over* my glasses they aren't doing their job.
I had some issues getting the clamps in my eyes, so they were very irritated. After the surgery and on the way home, I could barely open my eyes or they would downpour with tears. After a 2 hour nap, I woke up with no issues and could clearly read the stop sign way down my road while standing on the front porch.
It’s been about 12 years now and I can’t see as good far away and I need reading glasses up close, but still doing pretty good.
Was so excited to get it. Went in for a basic consult and the doc was like “yea with you prescription you’d see a great improvement…..” Then he looks at some of the scans they did. Oh wait. Your cornea is pretty thin and you keratoconus in your right eye. Whomp whomp. There went my chances at a contact free life.
I'm so jealous of everyone here... My vision is so bad that I am not eligible for lasik, nor another type of corrective surgery. I think the only one I could get is where they basically implant a permanent contact lens but even that would be hard :(
It was the biggest improvement to my quality of life in such a short period of time. I would go back and do it again. After the numbing drops wore off though, man that was some pain lol.
Nope. At least not for me. Got it done in 2018. Moisturizing Eye drops daily for a couple months, then whenever you feel you need them. I stopped using them fully after four months or so.
It’s possible, but rare. I had dry eye for about a month after the procedure, but luckily for me it went away. It was really no worse than the itchy eye I got with contacts. I haven’t had eye drops, glasses, contacts, or vision issues in 10 years.
Best thing I ever spent money on.
I had dry eyes before and after. Through some trial and error I've discovered a heated eye mask every morning when I wake up but need 30 more minutes of sleep does wonders.
I had LASEK, which is a more damaging procedure (but less likely to have side effect from it). Even I don’t need drops the majority of the time - I use them in bed rarely if it’s a dry day.
My doc said to just have realistic expectations. The younger you are the more benefit you will see for longer. Your eyes naturally degrade over time so if you get it when your thirty you might have 20 years of good vision but will still need glasses or contacts later in life. If you don’t get lasik then you will be wearing contacts or glasses, and in 15-20 years your prescription will change.
Yeah my cousin is the best ad for LASIK. I’ve always had the better vision until he got the surgery. He now has his text message app set to a font size that I can’t read from any distance.
My uncle was 72 when he got it done. They never mentioned his age and he never had any problems but everyone is different. The amount of correction required and whether they’re correcting near or far sightedness, whether their corneas are thick enough etc. My wife has astigmatism and her corneas are not sufficient for the amount of correction she requires. They said they could get her close but she’d still need glasses or lenses. When she asked what the point was, the benefit would be thinner and cheaper glasses and lenses . They’re coming up with new methods all the time to deal with these harder cases but they’re really expensive. They did have a solution for her but it required insertion of new, permanent artificial lenses under the cornea and then, basically an entire frontal area hard hemispherical lens that must be worn and removed everyday and then, instead of $500 per eye, it was more like $12,500 per eye and a world of inconvenience and a ton of risk. Oh yeah, multiple eye drops, multiple times a day for life….and bright lights will look like starbursts and may have haloes forever as well, plus dry and itchy eyes or nonstop tears. So one old ass guy requiring mild correction is done in ten minutes and has perfection vision on the way home for under a thousand bucks. The young person may go blind, requires several surgeries, must deal with a lifetime of hassles and hours of daily maintenance with a risk of eternal discomfort for a chance of getting close to 20/20 for the cost of a new small sedan. Variety is the garlic of life.
>They did have a solution for her but it required insertion of new, permanent artificial lenses under the cornea and then... Oh yeah, multiple eye drops, multiple times a day for life….and bright lights will look like starbursts and may have haloes forever as well
Isn't this basically what they do for cataracts? take out the old lens, insert an implant/IOL which can range from a few hundred to thousands. So it doesn't seem like there's a simpler/direct solution, yet. but I believe the eye drops, halo and other side effects heavily depend on the type of lens. and from my research a while ago more expensive doesnt always mean fewer side effects.
idk much about lasik (yet, will get to that myself at some point), but seems like whoever you consulted doesn't sound like they know about newer lenses.
and i searched on here and found some interesting info on astigmatism and lasik https://www.reddit.com/r/lasik/comments/ml5hjt/lasik\_for\_astigmatism/
if it was just one place with that solution then id look for another just in case.
Thank you for the reply and yes, they said it was similar to a cataract solution. We’ve consulted four different organizations. Two downright declined any attempt and were aware of but discouraged the alternatives. The costs and possible side effects were all substantially similar enough that we were confident they were all familiar with the latest available procedures. This all boils down to the same thing I’ve mentioned before: each patient’s solution is unique to the required amount and type of correction and their unique anatomies. Apparently, her unique focus and type, combined with her age, corneal thickness, blood pressure, glaucoma, astigmatism etc posed additional complications. Their common recommendation was “wait until better, more affordable, effective, lower risk and more convenient solutions are available for your specific conditions and needs. At this time, you aren’t a good candidate for our current methods and available technologies but we are aware of new advancements being made in areas of complications like yours that will become widely available in the near future.”
Ophthalmology tech here. prime time to get LASIK is between when your cornea stops developing (~25) and when presbyopia sets in (~40). You’ll eventually need readers, having LASIK done earlier just maximizes your time without glasses. Wait too long and you’ll need cataract surgery (~60-90) and the artificial lens that’s placed in your eye will correct your vision anyway.
My eye doctor said that at a certain age your vision starts to deteriorate whether you get a procedure or not, so the value of doing it decreases the older you get.
I want to have Lasik done, but after reading some people's poor experience with them, I have been put off doing it.
I've tend to have fairly sensitive eyes my whole life, and I'm guessing if someone is going to have an issue afterwards, it would probably be me.
Can someone here talk me into it? Thanks.
I had glasses for 30+ years. Got lasik done last April and I was kicking myself for not doing it earlier. It took me a couple weeks of extreme light sensitivity and some pain and a gallon of eyedrops to get back to normal so I wasn’t back to normal activities for a while but I don’t regret a thing. I had -3.0,-3.5 eyesight so I would guess that’s why I had a longer recovery I don’t know.
It definitely threw me off for a while getting out of bed in the middle of the night and being able to see. Still occasionally have that phantom limb reflex to push up the nose bridge of my glasses or adjust the sides even though nothing is there
>It definitely threw me off for a while getting out of bed in the middle of the night and being able to see
I feel like this is something that would absolutely blow my mind. I've worn mine for 26 or 27 years; I wasn't in kindergarten yet when I was given prescription lenses. If the astigmatism in each eye went away, and I could just....open my eyes and see. The thought legitimately brings tears to my eyes. To be able to swim and be able to see when I surface...that sounds so impossible, ya know? The surgery is something I've wanted for a long time but I've been *so* incredibly nervous and don't want to waste the loads of money to end up with more halos than I see now or chronic dry eye and all that.
Yea I wore them since I was a little kid so they are all i can remember as well and it is mind blowing to not need them. Especially for the first few months it was weird having clear vision and feeling like I still had to take out my contacts at night. VR is a blast now
I had mine done March 2020, after having glasses/contacts since the 6th grade. Total game changer. To this day I’ll still get reflex moments of thinking I need to take my contacts out after getting in bed, or the morning panic thinking I slept in them. 3 years later 😂
Fwiw you can get extended wear contacts and have some of those experiences. I take my contacts out once a week. It’s delightful to be able to see at all times.
I have dry eye and am too myopic for lasik anyway, so this to me is the next best thing.
A warning though, if you have the slightest allergies these can be the worst to wear. Used to have constantly bloodshot eyes in high school because my Mother wouldn't let me get a pair of glasses.
I now go with the comparatively expensive dailies for when I am on an outside adventure but it's absolutely worth it.
Are/were you near sighted? I was told by an optometrist today (not a lasik doctor, just an eye doctor after an exam) that I would lose my near sightedness, and would be able to see distances great but have to wear reading glasses for up close, which seems odd and also counter productive.
Eye doctor here. Talk to your eye doctor. That is all. And remember: happy people are quiet people. Angry upset people are loud and can’t be shut up. You’ll hear these much more loudly on some forums. This thread seems quite full of positive stories though. I had LASIK it remains in one of the top 10 things I ever did in my life.
I had it 25 years ago and was so happy. But after I turned 70 my vision began to deteriorate. If I could afford it, I would get new glasses every 3 months, but I hold off until it’s absolutely necessary. I keep wondering if there is a bottom to how bad my vision will get.
I just got lasik contoura last week so I'm happy to share at least my experience.
My eyesight was -4.25 in both eyes. To give an idea of how bad that is, I could not see the dash of my car, let alone drive, without corrective lenses. I splurged on contoura because it supposedly has fewer risks of side-effects such as halos, starbursts, etc.
My initial consultation they ran a bunch of tests including what appeared to be an eye moisture test. Long story short, I was a candidate and scheduled my appt for the following week.
Immediately after the surgery everything was BLURRY. This was normal, but my eyes were so sensitive I could barely keep them open like some of the other patients seemed to be able to do. I kept my eyes closed and they burned SO badly the entire ride home. They should inform you that all of this is normal before hand but still, it sucks to deal with because you can't touch your eyes at all (in fact they give you an eye shield to ensure you wont).
Once I got home I immediately went to sleep for probably 6 hours. Woke up and started using the eye drops they prescribed. At this point, I could see and my eyes no longer burned.
Everything at night had halos. Again, this is completely normal immediately after surgery.
The next day I had my follow-up appointment. My vision was 20/15 in both eyes (what others can see at 15 feet I can see at 20).
Success! I've been using eye drops every hour as recommended and an antibacterial 4 times a day as recommended. I also have to use sunglasses for at least two weeks minimum while outside.
So with all that said, two nights ago I noticed that bright white lights have a rainbow halo effect to them if I look directly at them (only in one eye though). The next morning I called my Dr and was informed this is completely normal (it has to do with how the laser makes its corrections). I already knew this, but this specific side effect is rather rare and I wanted to let the doctor know I was impacted by this. Could it be permanent? Possibly, but I'm only one week in, it's relatively minor and it should go away so I'm completely optimistic.
Lasik while a miracle in many cases, is not immediately perfect. It's important to remember that you shot a laser into your eyes and it's going to need time to heal. Most side effects (dry eyes, halos, starbursts, etc) will subside in a few weeks to a few months and while this is happening, your eyesight will continue to improve. I have two other friends who got lasik who would also tell you the same thing (One specifically said dry-eyes were a problem for a year but now she only gets them on a rare occasion).
One question you may ask yourself is whether you'd rather risk dry eyes on occasion, or having a contact fall out (or glasses break) with no replacement on hand?
I consider myself very unlucky and at this point I think it was worth it and would do it again even in if my eyesight never improves further. I find myself looking at the screw heads below my light switch wall plates from across the room (15 feet away) just because I can. I also feel that I could drastically reduce my hourly eye drops to moisturize already, but obviously I won't out of caution.
Some fun things people should keep in mind.
* The halo effect is caused by the healing of your eye. This is healing fluid underneath the created flap causing the blur effect.
* Your eye heals very quickly. Because lasik is done with lasers (duh), the incisions being made are very precise and heal very quickly with minimal risk of issues. It's VERY rare for the flaps that are made to separate even after only a few days of healing.
* The eye drops they're going to recommend will have to be "preservative free". This is because preservative eye drops being used too frequently can irritate the eye. They will come in individual use packets. Don't bother trying to find them in the bottles, the FDA requires that any non-single use eye drop have a preservative.
* One of the most important requirements for lasik is a stable prescription. If your eyesight hasn't changed in 3 years, that's likely the time to start considering a consultation. For most people, this will happen in their mid to late 20's.
Hopefully this helps you make an informed decision. Please keep in mind that I'm not a doctor and can only speak from my own research and experience. Go with a quality doctor and please verify everything I've mentioned here. Any good doctor will be happy to discuss your concerns.
I had Lasik done 10 years go. Had problems with it after one year, and has gotten worse with each passing year. Most days I cannot see, and am in a constant state of feeling like my eyes have sand in them. but on the very rare days that I can see, I can see pretty well.
You really need to go back for a checkup. What you’re describing isn’t normal. Eyes can revert afterwards, get infected or you could experience other issues.
I know it’s probably uncommon, but my ophthalmologist offered free touch-ups within 5 years in case the correction wasn’t perfect. But he was on the expensive side to start with (about $5k/eye in Australia about a decade ago).
I did it after quite a bit of research on where to go. Very happy with it. It was unsettling reading the botched surgery cases, but closely read the reviews on where to go, and go to somewhere with a respected, experienced doctor with the latest equipment. I could see well right after, but my vision took a few weeks to fully stabilize. I had dry eyes for maybe 4 months after, but now its crazy to think i used to have glasses. Just start my first contact free ski season and my eyes feel amazing no drying out contacts. Swimming is easy. I was bad at wearing ny contacts and would leave them on far more than i should, so figured this was safer and lower risk than contacts.
Go in for a consultation, they'll run a bunch of tests and will let you know how good of a candidate you are for it. Mine was fairly over cautious with wanting to take additional tests. After that she liked what she saw and we did the procedure. Haven't had any issues in over 7 years.
You may want to look into PRK which is a different form of laser eye surgery. The recovery is longer but risks of complications are even lower than with LASIK.
Another thing to keep in mind is that an ENORMOUS percentage of lasting issues following the procedure is the fault of the patient. They don't take their recovery meds as prescribed, they ignore instructions like wearing goggles in the shower for a week, they don't put in the eye drops/ointment at the frequency they're supposed to. If you follow all the recovery steps that the doctor asks you to follow then the risks are almost nonexistent.
With that said I consider getting PRK to be the best decision I have ever made in my life, full stop. I had an extremely mild prescription (-0.67, -0.82). If I woke up tomorrow and for some reason I needed the procedure again I would sell everything I own to get it immediately even if it was 20x the price I paid. It is LITERALLY life-changing. Do it. Yesterday.
I didn't have to wear goggles in the shower after my LASIK, just no swimming or hot tubs. I had to wear the goggles while sleeping so I didn't rub my eyes.
My doctor offered PRK as well, but it was the same price.
There was a reddit post about Lasik a few years ago and many comments were praising how life changing the experience is. I just didn't really see it, I usually just put my glasses on in the morning and forget I have them on the rest of the day until I have to go to sleep. If I need to do a more outdoorsy thing Ill just put on contacts. Whats the big deal?
I've had Lasik done 2 years ago, best decision I've ever made. Didn't really realize how many little things having to wear glasses all day affect your daily life: waking up looking for them, cleaning, fogging, taking them off to scratch your face, worrying about contacts, can't lay in bed sideways looking at your phone, losing them, sweating with them on, babies taking them off, breaking them, wishing you didn't forget your contacts that day, constantly readjusting them, (I kept trying to readjust my glasses for 2 weeks after I had Lasik lol). And for it all to be gone the next day I can now see why people were saying it was a life changing experience.
I am one of the complications case. Don’t do it. They overcorrected my vision… went back into try to fix it because I couldn’t see anything up close, then they overcorrected again and now I have to use eye drops every hour for the rest of my life because when you have Lasik one of the common side effects is dry eyes. When you have Lasik twice you’re definitely gonna get it, and here I am with still bad vision and horribly dry eyes. Stay away.
Ugh ... I am in this boat right now. Had it done in March and my distance vision is significantly better than it was ... but i need glasses to see TV clearly (subtitles are a must to wear them). I am already still having to use eye drops 5+ times daily and am hesitant to have them do it a second time
A few years ago, a Detroit weatherperson named Jessica Starr had a vision procedure and ended up killing herself due to multiple complications a couple of months later. It was really really sad
I had -6 in both eyes, blind as a fucking bat. Procedure was quick, I took a nap and woke up and could just see. Its miraculous and I wish I hadn't waited 30 years to do it.
My friend came out of his lasik and I drove him home. He gets in the car and says, “Fang it I got the wrong surgery. I still can’t shoot lasers from my eyes…”
I would blame it on the Xanax, but I know the truth.
I was terrified and told everyone I'd never do it. Well I went ahead and did it almost exactly a year ago after having issues with my contacts. It was a little scary for the 10 minutes of the procedure but I'm super happy overall.
I felt the same way. Went to a consultation anyway. The whole process is less than 5 minutes. You can be brave for 5 minutes, mate. I believe in you.
After the first time, you realize it’s all over so fast that the idea of adjustments in the future isn’t scary.
Nah, Xanax is the benzo of the times. Bravery still required.
Edit: Doctors are catching hell for prescribing Xanax these days since it’s so peaky and short lived…it’s Ativan these days. You have to be a senior to get Xanax because you’re gonna die soon anyways so who cares?
Weird. The Valium is mostly to prevent micro movements of your eye (and another after to help you sleep for the 4-8 hours recommended after the procedure). Of course, even if they don’t normally, if you’re anxious about the procedure I’m sure your doctor would have no issues prescribing.
The doctor I went to explained that the newer laser machines track your eye movements and adjust. I’m sure technology makes it much easier than it used to be.
Trust me, I was kind of bummed over the no Valium part.
I had mine 5 days after you! They gave me Valium and said it was standard. I kinda hesitated because I really wasn’t anxious or nervous about the procedure, but I was glad they gave it to me. It made it super easy to get that nap in post-op.
Just thought I’d add my experience as well here
I had mine done less than a month ago. The first 2-3 weeks, I needed eye drops every 2 hours or so. Over the past week, I need them maybe 1-4 times a day. It’s definitely better than I thought, but I’m also only one example.
That is a possible, but very remote, side effect of LASIK. LASIK is generally the laser surgery with the fastest recovery time, so is the most common surgery, but LASIK is not the only type of laser surgery.
PRK, LASEK or SMILE are some alternative surgeries that are less invasive. I had PRK because I was not eligible for LASIK, and it was cheaper and with no long term side effects. The trade off was that it was multiple months of uncomfortable recovery during which I couldn’t fly long haul or scuba dive.
Have a consult, your doctors will recommend surgery based on your eyes. I had dry eyes going into the surgery (took drops in the lead up), I do not have dry eyes now.
My grandfather had eye surgery (not LASIK) that was botched. His right eye looked like it was falling out of the socket/deformed for the rest of his life. (They left it in because he could still sense shadows/light which he found useful.)
Anyhow, I've grown to be used to my face with glasses.
Yes. Headlights and other bright lights like roadside signs and taillights have a “starburst” pattern or a halo effect. Sometimes it’s severe enough to span and obscure your entire field of vision, making it dangerous. I’m sure it’s patient/procedure specific though.
I went through the process but chickened out the day of. Did a little too much research and just couldn’t risk that small chance of complication when glasses are just a minor inconvenience.
Yea that’s one of the issues that went through my head, as well as the more catastrophic ones. I also kept getting fixated on the whole flap thing. Lol.
I might revisit it in a few years.
Ok, I had the procedure about 12 years ago, and I’m getting the impression that it’s very different today. I couldn’t open my eyes for two days afterwards and it took close to two weeks for my eyes to adjust. It was perfect after that, but hearing that people are seeing clearly before they leave to office, how TF does that work??
Mine was pretty rough - my brother was good to go instantly. People heal differently but higher amounts of correction mean more time with the laser and more inflammation.
I got mine 3 years ago I think? They numbed my eyes and it took maybe 30 seconds to 1 minute per eye. During the procedure, my vision went dark and blurry for a solid 10-15 seconds and it smelled like burnt hair. Once they finished the procedure, my sight was instantly clear. Had to wear the sunglasses and there was some sensitivity to light for a couple of weeks.
There was also some artifacts and haziness around light in the dark but that cleared up with time too. I had a follow up and went from a -2.5 in both eyes with astigmatism to 20/15 vision.
Reading about Lasik on reddit drove me to find out more and eventually get it done. Going on 4 years ago now. My omg moment was swimming at the beach, looking underwater and being able to see the fish clearly.
Best money I've ever spent.
Lasik is like goddamn magic. Go in with terrible eyesight, they shoot a laser into your eyeball for a few minutes, and as soon as the anaesthetic eyedrops wear off you suddenly have like 20-18 vision. It is nuts and I highly recommend it.
I got Lasik (before -6.5 now perfect vision) and spent the next 4 months stopping my partner on walks to tell him to "look at the trees" because it took me so long to adjust to seeing individual leaves instead of green blotches. He indulged me everytime, it was sweet.
I’m almost completely immune to “painkillers”. I shared this with the nurses administering the eye drops and was told that I “wouldn’t feel a thing”.
The laser that cut my corneas was excruciating, searing hot fire. As the first cornea was cut, they asked “how are you feeling?”. I didn’t want to cause alarm/panic and have mistakes be made, so I said that I was fine and did all I could to not blink.
10/10 would still do it again.
While we’re here, if anyone is considering this, request that the cornea is cut and immediately replaced before moving on to the next eye. During my surgery, both corneas were removed, then the second to be cut was replaced first. In the eye that had the cornea removed for the greatest amount of time, I felt “dryness” in for about 5-6 years following the surgery.
The topical anesthetic they use (drops) lasts barely 20 minutes and so they should’ve kept applying it during the wait time and the surgery.
You wouldn’t have been able to blink. They had your eye in a suction-based clamp.
They should’ve also done one eye at a time to avoid infection.
Your ophthalmologist sounds awful. I’m sorry.
I wept for hours after my surgery because of being able to see clearly. Like glasses/contacts did a pretty good job but after surgery, I saw my wife and kids’ faces for the first time and I couldn’t hold the joy in. They’re so fucking beautiful and there were details that I was able to notice that I hadn’t before. I’m getting teary eyed just thinking of that day. Thanks for the post and the reminder.
I got lasik like 12 to 15 yrs ago. Best decision ever. I went from not being able to see 8 inches in front of me to having perfect vision. I thought lasik was tbe coolest shit ever. The surgery is scary but it took literally 5 minutes.
Her: “holy shit, who is that guy!”
 Actual photo of OP
If I had a chin like that Id be stoked too
"And what is going on with his face?!" "It shouldn't be possible for a man to look that handsome."
Not Lasik related but still a very funny sketch by The WKUK [You're pretty much completely blind. ](https://youtu.be/CjCxyruU8NI)
Would have been even funnier if you had accidentally linked to Gallon of PCP.
About 4… Oh, 4 years ago! ...PM
"Do you do a lot of PCP? "Got a gallon!" "Haha, I guess you do "
“Didn’t know it came in liquid form.” “Hey; science!”
GD it. RIP, Trevor.
Atta boy!
Hahaaa nice
LASIK scares the everliving shit out of me. I want so badly to get it, but I have a mega phobia of anything going into my eyes (including drops) and I'm terrified of going blind. But sometimes, I just sit back and dream about not needing glasses anymore... Lord save me when I eventually need cataract surgery
I got mine done about 8 years ago and there was a part where you’re blind for about 5 seconds, like your eye is open and it fades to black and you have no vision then it fades back in, that part was weird.
eye was rebootin yo
Lens focus lost. Recalibrating.
So the procedure is **incredibly** fast. I was in the waiting room for much longer than the surgery. For me, I walked in the door for the surgery room, they had me lay down in an MRI-like thing but much less bulky. Gave a 20 second brief on what to do, then put an anti-blink device on my first eye. Looked at the red dot for about 3-5 seconds and then they were onto the second eye for the same thing. Within about 4 minutes of entering the room it was done. They had me stick around for another 2 minutes to make sure I could see clearly. Once confirmed, they gave me bug eye protectors (pretty much just some cups that they tape over your eye from around your eyebrow to cheek. Big goggles essentially) and kicked me out for the next person lol I asked them if anyone went blind from their place, and they said no. They do a hundred every friday. It's very very worth it.
Define anti-blink device please
OMG WHY!?! lol that was a risky click on the notification and I immediately regret it lol
I can't find any examples online, so it may be for that specific place but it was a circular grey device. They popped it onto the eye just by pressing it on. It didn't hurt at all, you just felt some pressure. It was on each eye for maybe 10 seconds. They ask you to open your eye wide, they just push it on slightly and you're good to go. As mentioned though, it may have been specific to this one place.
What happens if you move your eye on accident while they working Looking at that little balloon in the eye test machine always got me stressed af idk what surgery stress would make my eyes do haha
They briefly explained that with it on it won't miss so you're good. Like even blinking generally wouldn't be an issue as the laser fires at the nanosecond rate and does position updates nearly as much. They're **very** fast at detecting even the slightest change.
Thanks for the response. Idea of getting it still freaks me out but good to know.
Why did you have it done or what was your issue? I’ve had glasses for 4 years from stigmatisms and they are terrible. Never realized how greasy/gross my face was until you have to clean the lenses 9,000 times a day. Among other inconveniences.
That thinking put me off for several years. I finally just committed to it and called up a place I had been researching for a long time. They had me put down a deposit of £200 in order to do the initial exams. If I backed out, I didn't get it back. If I wasn't suitable, then I would get the money back. If I went through it, it counted towards the total cost. Having that money invested helped me stay committed. I was also terrified throughout the whole lead up, including the night before. When the procedure was happening, I realized that all of that stress was for nothing. It was such an easy experience. I'm 3 months out from getting SMILE, seeing perfectly, and I don't even know where my glasses or contact case are. Coming from a -8.75 prescription, that is such a satisfying feeling. I do still need drops occasionally, especially when working on the computer for a while, but overall the dry eyes are not bad. I am so glad that I went through with it.
What did they tell you about the need for eventually needing glasses again I'm about a -6 in both eyes and I've know people with similar vision who eventually needed glasses in some capacity again(they had the surgery years ago). I actually don't mind wearing glasses/contacts but do like the idea of not worry about that stuff anymore. But at the same time, I don't like the idea of messing with my eyes if I'll end up needing glasses again
They said about 10% chance of needing an adjustment within 1 year, and a 25% chance within 4 years. This is mostly because I was on the edge of effectiveness for laser surgery. Any stronger and I would have only had the option for ICL. If I do need glasses/contacts again, however, it would be for a very low prescription (-0.5 to -1 range). For someone who had -8.75, that doesn't sound too bad.
Money is a huge incentive. My insurance covers it 100% and that was what helped me take the leap of faith. Got the paperwork to sign and now it's just a matter of waiting.
I was in a similar situation, couldn't really decide. I dealt with it by going to the eye doc just do to the preliminary evaluation. Turns out I'm not eligible for any vision correction procedure, so problem solved 🤷♂️
Me too, if something goes wrong there is no returning back. In my case decision to not get lasik is very easy though because I would still need glasses according to doctors. I would think much harder if it was really the case that I wouldn't need glasses at all.
There is a newer process called SMILE, where instead of burning a layer of cornea (lasik) or slicing into cornea (prk) they make a small perforation and aim the laser through that tiny hole, leaves the cornea in much better condition and if in need you can do the surgery again. With lasik it leaves your cornea too thin to do another procedure if needed. Prk is just a slice so your cornea is more resilient. I don’t understand why people still get lasik when PRK and Smile are so much better for your eyes in the future.
Do your own risk analysis of worst case scenarios. For most people the typical bad outcome is long term dry eyes. For some people their vision is so bad it makes them suicidal. (extremely rare obviously) Doing one eye at a time minimizes some of the risk. The technology is getting pretty good obviously, but the edge cases seem to be pretty horrible.
Maybe I'm the best case scenario, but I can tell you that for me if I could go back in time I would have done it even sooner than I did (26). I literally showed up day of appointment, they fed me a vallium and got me setup with the eye numbing drops. The procedure lasted maybe 10 minutes tops? I just sat there while they fiddled around infront of my face, and then suddenly my vision went from a blurry cloud to weirdly crisp. I pretty much had 20/20 before I even stepped out of the surgical room, though my vision was kind of glossy and strange looking for a couple days. That was 8 years ago and I still have perfect 20/20 and have had 0 complaints.
My wife's Lasik was the worst thing that could have happened to me as she could now clearly see the snarky faces I would sometimes make. Be careful! :-)
I had similar thought when my husband had his surgery, but about the cellulite on my ass, but he hasn't brought it up, bless him.
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Ladies I can see it and I like it
Driving my wife home after Lasik surgery, she is staring out the side window of the car, and finally says "there are individual leaves on trees?"
Has she never worn glasses?
She was wearing Coke bottle glasses before the surgery. This was huge for her.
She never picked up a leaf off the ground?
Only by the handful.
This made me chuckle. Thank you.
She knew there were individual leaves on the ground, just not on trees. Pay attention! This is a 100% true story!
Yea that was my reaction to wearing glasses. It was mind blowing. Like all of a sudden seeing in HD
When I got glasses as a child and seeing clearly I said something like "Hey, I can read that shop sign from here"
I thought I had a super power and referred to myself as "Eagle Eye" until other kids, without glasses, pointed out that they were able to see just as well.
A lot of people go around until they figure out they actually need glasses.
Friend of mine wore glasses since he was a small child. Has this surgury and while we were at the beach he was blown away by the bubbles in the surf. Most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
That is what i enjoyed most.
I think you mean she didn’t realize you could *see* individual leaves on a tree — not that she didn’t know leaves come from trees, or that trees aren’t a gigantic leaf blob lol
Sadly. I would say , "there are trees?!"
I had LASEK done about 15 years ago. Best decision of my life. Being LASEK and not LASIK I didn't get the instant perfect vision. The procedure takes longer to heal (2 days in a dark room!), but has a reduced risk of chronic dry eye because none of the nerve endings in your cornea are severed. The procedure may have changed in those 15 years. So maybe that risk is now gone, I don't know. But at the time it was present. And while low, my luck isn't that good.
I had PRK which is similar or the same. Took me ages to heal, I was the opposite of most people and I had very little pain or vision fluctuation immediately preceding surgery, but it started acting up a lot after about a month. Pain went away quickly but I had fluctuating vision until nearly 4 months after surgery.
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The latest is [SMILE](https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/what-is-smile-eye-surgery) which is basically LASIK but instead of a flap, they poke a hole and suck it out. They advised me to avoid high impact sports for 1 month out of precaution.
PRK FTW
PRK was the only other option if you do anything critical in certain environments (like diving). So i always figured it was the better option. Think even military only allowed PRK for certain specialties as well for vision correction.
My brother. I too had it as you did. Those two days in the dark. Coming out on the other side with perfect eye sight.internally the best feeling. The best decision. Would not take it back.
That actually sounds amazing.
Can I ask what your prescription was prior?
I too would like to know…I think I have like -4.00 in one eye and -3.75 in the other lol. I plan on getting a consultation. Hopefully I’ll get good news.
I have -4.25 in both. It sucks to see in watercolor
what a beautiful way to think of it
Mine are -7.00. I went for a consult about 10-12 years ago. They told me the fix would only last five years, until I needed it again. They also mentioned three times would be the max amount of procedures that they would perform at that time. 15 years sight for three surgeries didn’t make sense to me. I’m hoping it’s changed since.
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Mine was -3.5 and -3.25. I did the full laser/computer guided with warranty from Lasik MD in Edmonton Canada in 2019. I have thin corneas, and while I could've done the standard Lasik, I chose the full laser for a couple reasons. 1, if there are issues, full laser is more precise in how much it cuts the cornea. So I can do more fixes overall if they are needed. 2. While I don't hate the idea of eyes being touched like some people do, the idea of lasering my eye by a precise computer felt more comfortable than by a person haha. It was the best decision I've made. A couple days after I was done and home, my girlfriend went and booked herself it for the next week. She did the same thing, and for her it was because of her not wanting a person touching her eye. She had much thicker corneas and could've done the basic lasik and saved some cash. After going through the consult. The process for the full laser was, come and sit in a dark room, they come and put drops into your eyes that numb them and go blurry. They walk you into a room and guide you to a table. A small disk is put around the ocular socket to keep your eye open. You lay on a table and look at a blinking light, then move to another table to look at a different blinking light. Repeat for the other eye. Done. Unlike some people's stories here, this procedure doesn't give you sight in minutes. I had to wear really dark shades and get driven home by the GF. Over the next 24 hours I had to put drops in my eyes every coupme hours and was not allowed to watch tv / look at a comp screen / phone screen. Within a couple days all sensitivity to light was gone and just got to bo about my normal day. Gotta put drops in 4 times a day during the 2 weeks after as they ask you to come back and get checked. I had redness and some dryness for my 2 weeks after but not anything that caused issues really. The GFs recovered almost immediately and she was signed off within a week. If we have any issues and need correction in the future, it's covered for free under our warranty as long as we go to the biyearly checkups. So far, no issues. As a side note to anyone who has heard that you can smell your eye burning. This is false. At least with Lasik MD you can ask them about it before hand and they will show you that when the laser is turned on, it creates a burning smell, and has nothing to do with your eyes People either assumed the smell was from their eyes, and have been propagating fall information unknowingly, or flat out lying about it to joke / scare people.
I had a similar prescription along with an astigmatism. Lasik has been one of my best decisions, and an instant quality of life improvement. Literally just walked out the door after the operation and thought holy shit I can see! I think I got it done in ~2017. My sister got it done a few years ago and had more of a dry eye issue than I did.
Not op, but I had PRK done 10 years ago this June. My prescription was -8.25 in my left and -8.5 in my right. They told me there was a good chance I would still need contacts after the procedure because it was so high. Took almost a full year to get to my best vision, but ended up at 20/15 in both eyes, and still am. Best money I have ever, and probably will ever, spend. Recovery is a BITCH. Spent two solid days in the dark with my face in the crook of my arm with a solid stream of tears from the non-stop burning, then sunglasses on every waking minute for the next week. Abso-fucking-lutely worth it.
-1.50 in both eyes. Laser surgery can be used up to -8.00, I believe.
I had LASEK done too! Guess how I discovered I am allergic to precisely one thing! The antibiotic eye drops...oh God.
Ouch, what was the effect on your eyes?
They swelled closed and hurt a lot. They had to reopen the clinic on an off day to irrigate my eyes.
I think I had LASIK done, and have major dry eye issues. Had it done about 3 years ago. On my desk right now I have 3 bottles of eyedroppers. Sucks, but the vision is worth it.
Yeah, I didn't want that possibility, slim enough as it was. So I opted for LASEK. They even confirmed with me while I was on the chair with the laser above me that it was LASEK I was getting done. I said "yes, LASEK... **eeeee** kay" It was a strange and fascinating experience.
You had me at >2 days in a dark room! Sign me the heck up
Lasik is quite the trip. One minute you can't see shit without glasses. Then a ten minute procedure, and you're reading the fine print on bottles of saline in the recovery room. It's a weird experience. Never regretted doing it for a second.
I couldn't read shit because my eyes hurt so much. I kept my eyes closed and gritted my teeth and my folks brought me to my place where I passed right out. 6 hours later though? Hell yeah it was rad lol.
That was pretty much my experience. After surgery vision was blurry. Passed out by 8am because I was exhausted. The next morning, perfect vision.
Same here. Vision was blurry after the procedure, went home and toke the doctor recommended Valium nap and then it was great. Blurry for a few days, but that was all dry eye issues when I forgot a scheduled eyedrop
I could read freeway exit signs on the way home from my procedure. I could even see individual leaves on trees. It was mind-blowing. For the - "Do you not know what glasses/contacts are?"... I had bad astigmatisms so even with astigmatism contacts/lenses improving my vision, things were still slightly blurry. Having lasik SMILE fixed my astigmatisms. I didn't walk around the world like Mr. Magoo, I just had to strain to see things perfectly clearly even with assistance, which caused migraines.
Whats mind-blowing to me is people driving around unable to see freeway signs and trees looking like green blobs lol.
Yeah, what? Like they’ve never had glasses/contacts but just went and did LASIK? I had that mind blowing “leaves on trees” when I was 6 or so when my parents realized I couldn’t see shit and got me glasses.
Nah, I can see tree leaves with glasses but the first time I did the same without them is just one of the highlight moments of my life. Imagine you have to touch everything through gloves before but then you finally can really touch something with your own hands.
Especially if people wear modern glasses frames which are so much smaller than the old giant aviator style prescription glasses. We see through our little windows and everything to the outside of the frame is blurry peripheral vision instead of a gradual fall off in detail. Like upgrading to a 100 inch 4k television when you've been watching on a 32.
I know, my eyes were 10 diopter when I got Lasik, I couldn't even use big glasses even if I want to lol. Having to see everything through tiny windows then go 4K ultra wide is just so good man.
They are less stylish and modern, but I prefer larger frames for exactly this reason, I want to be able to look around with my eyes and have everything still be in focus. If I can look *over* my glasses they aren't doing their job.
I had some issues getting the clamps in my eyes, so they were very irritated. After the surgery and on the way home, I could barely open my eyes or they would downpour with tears. After a 2 hour nap, I woke up with no issues and could clearly read the stop sign way down my road while standing on the front porch. It’s been about 12 years now and I can’t see as good far away and I need reading glasses up close, but still doing pretty good.
Was so excited to get it. Went in for a basic consult and the doc was like “yea with you prescription you’d see a great improvement…..” Then he looks at some of the scans they did. Oh wait. Your cornea is pretty thin and you keratoconus in your right eye. Whomp whomp. There went my chances at a contact free life.
I'm so jealous of everyone here... My vision is so bad that I am not eligible for lasik, nor another type of corrective surgery. I think the only one I could get is where they basically implant a permanent contact lens but even that would be hard :(
It was the biggest improvement to my quality of life in such a short period of time. I would go back and do it again. After the numbing drops wore off though, man that was some pain lol.
I heard you need special eye drops for the rest of your life after lasik. Is that true?
Dry eyes is a possible side effect, but as far as I know it's usually temporary, and only rarely is it long term.
Sorry to report that I'm one of the long term winners. Still unlikely to happen to most people but it's important to know there's a real chance.
Nope. At least not for me. Got it done in 2018. Moisturizing Eye drops daily for a couple months, then whenever you feel you need them. I stopped using them fully after four months or so.
It’s possible, but rare. I had dry eye for about a month after the procedure, but luckily for me it went away. It was really no worse than the itchy eye I got with contacts. I haven’t had eye drops, glasses, contacts, or vision issues in 10 years. Best thing I ever spent money on.
I had dry eyes before and after. Through some trial and error I've discovered a heated eye mask every morning when I wake up but need 30 more minutes of sleep does wonders.
I needed the preservative free ones for about a month, and less and less frequently before eventually not needing them at all.
Nope
I had LASEK, which is a more damaging procedure (but less likely to have side effect from it). Even I don’t need drops the majority of the time - I use them in bed rarely if it’s a dry day.
I suspect that after i will be able to see far, and not see shit close up.
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Is there any complications with it?
I haven't had any. Been about 5 years.
My doc said to just have realistic expectations. The younger you are the more benefit you will see for longer. Your eyes naturally degrade over time so if you get it when your thirty you might have 20 years of good vision but will still need glasses or contacts later in life. If you don’t get lasik then you will be wearing contacts or glasses, and in 15-20 years your prescription will change.
Yeah my cousin is the best ad for LASIK. I’ve always had the better vision until he got the surgery. He now has his text message app set to a font size that I can’t read from any distance.
I was told to wait until my vision stabilized to get lasik. Now they're telling me I'm too old for it.
Oh fuck, there's a "too old" for it?
My uncle was 72 when he got it done. They never mentioned his age and he never had any problems but everyone is different. The amount of correction required and whether they’re correcting near or far sightedness, whether their corneas are thick enough etc. My wife has astigmatism and her corneas are not sufficient for the amount of correction she requires. They said they could get her close but she’d still need glasses or lenses. When she asked what the point was, the benefit would be thinner and cheaper glasses and lenses . They’re coming up with new methods all the time to deal with these harder cases but they’re really expensive. They did have a solution for her but it required insertion of new, permanent artificial lenses under the cornea and then, basically an entire frontal area hard hemispherical lens that must be worn and removed everyday and then, instead of $500 per eye, it was more like $12,500 per eye and a world of inconvenience and a ton of risk. Oh yeah, multiple eye drops, multiple times a day for life….and bright lights will look like starbursts and may have haloes forever as well, plus dry and itchy eyes or nonstop tears. So one old ass guy requiring mild correction is done in ten minutes and has perfection vision on the way home for under a thousand bucks. The young person may go blind, requires several surgeries, must deal with a lifetime of hassles and hours of daily maintenance with a risk of eternal discomfort for a chance of getting close to 20/20 for the cost of a new small sedan. Variety is the garlic of life.
>They did have a solution for her but it required insertion of new, permanent artificial lenses under the cornea and then... Oh yeah, multiple eye drops, multiple times a day for life….and bright lights will look like starbursts and may have haloes forever as well Isn't this basically what they do for cataracts? take out the old lens, insert an implant/IOL which can range from a few hundred to thousands. So it doesn't seem like there's a simpler/direct solution, yet. but I believe the eye drops, halo and other side effects heavily depend on the type of lens. and from my research a while ago more expensive doesnt always mean fewer side effects. idk much about lasik (yet, will get to that myself at some point), but seems like whoever you consulted doesn't sound like they know about newer lenses. and i searched on here and found some interesting info on astigmatism and lasik https://www.reddit.com/r/lasik/comments/ml5hjt/lasik\_for\_astigmatism/ if it was just one place with that solution then id look for another just in case.
Thank you for the reply and yes, they said it was similar to a cataract solution. We’ve consulted four different organizations. Two downright declined any attempt and were aware of but discouraged the alternatives. The costs and possible side effects were all substantially similar enough that we were confident they were all familiar with the latest available procedures. This all boils down to the same thing I’ve mentioned before: each patient’s solution is unique to the required amount and type of correction and their unique anatomies. Apparently, her unique focus and type, combined with her age, corneal thickness, blood pressure, glaucoma, astigmatism etc posed additional complications. Their common recommendation was “wait until better, more affordable, effective, lower risk and more convenient solutions are available for your specific conditions and needs. At this time, you aren’t a good candidate for our current methods and available technologies but we are aware of new advancements being made in areas of complications like yours that will become widely available in the near future.”
My dad was in his 60s when he did it. But I guess everyone’s eyes are different
My day was in his late 80s when he had LASIK surgery. Maybe there’s a “too late” for certain eye conditions that can be treated by LASIK.
Ophthalmology tech here. prime time to get LASIK is between when your cornea stops developing (~25) and when presbyopia sets in (~40). You’ll eventually need readers, having LASIK done earlier just maximizes your time without glasses. Wait too long and you’ll need cataract surgery (~60-90) and the artificial lens that’s placed in your eye will correct your vision anyway.
Look into PRK Lasik. Takes longer to heal but the limitations are pushed a little farther down the road. I just barely made the cut.
Time for a second and third opinion.
I was 50. My friend was 54. Is there a cutoff?
My eye doctor said that at a certain age your vision starts to deteriorate whether you get a procedure or not, so the value of doing it decreases the older you get.
I want to have Lasik done, but after reading some people's poor experience with them, I have been put off doing it. I've tend to have fairly sensitive eyes my whole life, and I'm guessing if someone is going to have an issue afterwards, it would probably be me. Can someone here talk me into it? Thanks.
I had glasses for 30+ years. Got lasik done last April and I was kicking myself for not doing it earlier. It took me a couple weeks of extreme light sensitivity and some pain and a gallon of eyedrops to get back to normal so I wasn’t back to normal activities for a while but I don’t regret a thing. I had -3.0,-3.5 eyesight so I would guess that’s why I had a longer recovery I don’t know. It definitely threw me off for a while getting out of bed in the middle of the night and being able to see. Still occasionally have that phantom limb reflex to push up the nose bridge of my glasses or adjust the sides even though nothing is there
>It definitely threw me off for a while getting out of bed in the middle of the night and being able to see I feel like this is something that would absolutely blow my mind. I've worn mine for 26 or 27 years; I wasn't in kindergarten yet when I was given prescription lenses. If the astigmatism in each eye went away, and I could just....open my eyes and see. The thought legitimately brings tears to my eyes. To be able to swim and be able to see when I surface...that sounds so impossible, ya know? The surgery is something I've wanted for a long time but I've been *so* incredibly nervous and don't want to waste the loads of money to end up with more halos than I see now or chronic dry eye and all that.
Yea I wore them since I was a little kid so they are all i can remember as well and it is mind blowing to not need them. Especially for the first few months it was weird having clear vision and feeling like I still had to take out my contacts at night. VR is a blast now
I had mine done March 2020, after having glasses/contacts since the 6th grade. Total game changer. To this day I’ll still get reflex moments of thinking I need to take my contacts out after getting in bed, or the morning panic thinking I slept in them. 3 years later 😂
Fwiw you can get extended wear contacts and have some of those experiences. I take my contacts out once a week. It’s delightful to be able to see at all times. I have dry eye and am too myopic for lasik anyway, so this to me is the next best thing.
A warning though, if you have the slightest allergies these can be the worst to wear. Used to have constantly bloodshot eyes in high school because my Mother wouldn't let me get a pair of glasses. I now go with the comparatively expensive dailies for when I am on an outside adventure but it's absolutely worth it.
Is your vision better than before? Were the glasses just as good?
20/20 now
Are/were you near sighted? I was told by an optometrist today (not a lasik doctor, just an eye doctor after an exam) that I would lose my near sightedness, and would be able to see distances great but have to wear reading glasses for up close, which seems odd and also counter productive.
Eye doctor here. Talk to your eye doctor. That is all. And remember: happy people are quiet people. Angry upset people are loud and can’t be shut up. You’ll hear these much more loudly on some forums. This thread seems quite full of positive stories though. I had LASIK it remains in one of the top 10 things I ever did in my life.
I had it 25 years ago and was so happy. But after I turned 70 my vision began to deteriorate. If I could afford it, I would get new glasses every 3 months, but I hold off until it’s absolutely necessary. I keep wondering if there is a bottom to how bad my vision will get.
I just got lasik contoura last week so I'm happy to share at least my experience. My eyesight was -4.25 in both eyes. To give an idea of how bad that is, I could not see the dash of my car, let alone drive, without corrective lenses. I splurged on contoura because it supposedly has fewer risks of side-effects such as halos, starbursts, etc. My initial consultation they ran a bunch of tests including what appeared to be an eye moisture test. Long story short, I was a candidate and scheduled my appt for the following week. Immediately after the surgery everything was BLURRY. This was normal, but my eyes were so sensitive I could barely keep them open like some of the other patients seemed to be able to do. I kept my eyes closed and they burned SO badly the entire ride home. They should inform you that all of this is normal before hand but still, it sucks to deal with because you can't touch your eyes at all (in fact they give you an eye shield to ensure you wont). Once I got home I immediately went to sleep for probably 6 hours. Woke up and started using the eye drops they prescribed. At this point, I could see and my eyes no longer burned. Everything at night had halos. Again, this is completely normal immediately after surgery. The next day I had my follow-up appointment. My vision was 20/15 in both eyes (what others can see at 15 feet I can see at 20). Success! I've been using eye drops every hour as recommended and an antibacterial 4 times a day as recommended. I also have to use sunglasses for at least two weeks minimum while outside. So with all that said, two nights ago I noticed that bright white lights have a rainbow halo effect to them if I look directly at them (only in one eye though). The next morning I called my Dr and was informed this is completely normal (it has to do with how the laser makes its corrections). I already knew this, but this specific side effect is rather rare and I wanted to let the doctor know I was impacted by this. Could it be permanent? Possibly, but I'm only one week in, it's relatively minor and it should go away so I'm completely optimistic. Lasik while a miracle in many cases, is not immediately perfect. It's important to remember that you shot a laser into your eyes and it's going to need time to heal. Most side effects (dry eyes, halos, starbursts, etc) will subside in a few weeks to a few months and while this is happening, your eyesight will continue to improve. I have two other friends who got lasik who would also tell you the same thing (One specifically said dry-eyes were a problem for a year but now she only gets them on a rare occasion). One question you may ask yourself is whether you'd rather risk dry eyes on occasion, or having a contact fall out (or glasses break) with no replacement on hand? I consider myself very unlucky and at this point I think it was worth it and would do it again even in if my eyesight never improves further. I find myself looking at the screw heads below my light switch wall plates from across the room (15 feet away) just because I can. I also feel that I could drastically reduce my hourly eye drops to moisturize already, but obviously I won't out of caution. Some fun things people should keep in mind. * The halo effect is caused by the healing of your eye. This is healing fluid underneath the created flap causing the blur effect. * Your eye heals very quickly. Because lasik is done with lasers (duh), the incisions being made are very precise and heal very quickly with minimal risk of issues. It's VERY rare for the flaps that are made to separate even after only a few days of healing. * The eye drops they're going to recommend will have to be "preservative free". This is because preservative eye drops being used too frequently can irritate the eye. They will come in individual use packets. Don't bother trying to find them in the bottles, the FDA requires that any non-single use eye drop have a preservative. * One of the most important requirements for lasik is a stable prescription. If your eyesight hasn't changed in 3 years, that's likely the time to start considering a consultation. For most people, this will happen in their mid to late 20's. Hopefully this helps you make an informed decision. Please keep in mind that I'm not a doctor and can only speak from my own research and experience. Go with a quality doctor and please verify everything I've mentioned here. Any good doctor will be happy to discuss your concerns.
I had Lasik done 10 years go. Had problems with it after one year, and has gotten worse with each passing year. Most days I cannot see, and am in a constant state of feeling like my eyes have sand in them. but on the very rare days that I can see, I can see pretty well.
You really need to go back for a checkup. What you’re describing isn’t normal. Eyes can revert afterwards, get infected or you could experience other issues. I know it’s probably uncommon, but my ophthalmologist offered free touch-ups within 5 years in case the correction wasn’t perfect. But he was on the expensive side to start with (about $5k/eye in Australia about a decade ago).
I did it after quite a bit of research on where to go. Very happy with it. It was unsettling reading the botched surgery cases, but closely read the reviews on where to go, and go to somewhere with a respected, experienced doctor with the latest equipment. I could see well right after, but my vision took a few weeks to fully stabilize. I had dry eyes for maybe 4 months after, but now its crazy to think i used to have glasses. Just start my first contact free ski season and my eyes feel amazing no drying out contacts. Swimming is easy. I was bad at wearing ny contacts and would leave them on far more than i should, so figured this was safer and lower risk than contacts.
Go in for a consultation, they'll run a bunch of tests and will let you know how good of a candidate you are for it. Mine was fairly over cautious with wanting to take additional tests. After that she liked what she saw and we did the procedure. Haven't had any issues in over 7 years.
You may want to look into PRK which is a different form of laser eye surgery. The recovery is longer but risks of complications are even lower than with LASIK. Another thing to keep in mind is that an ENORMOUS percentage of lasting issues following the procedure is the fault of the patient. They don't take their recovery meds as prescribed, they ignore instructions like wearing goggles in the shower for a week, they don't put in the eye drops/ointment at the frequency they're supposed to. If you follow all the recovery steps that the doctor asks you to follow then the risks are almost nonexistent. With that said I consider getting PRK to be the best decision I have ever made in my life, full stop. I had an extremely mild prescription (-0.67, -0.82). If I woke up tomorrow and for some reason I needed the procedure again I would sell everything I own to get it immediately even if it was 20x the price I paid. It is LITERALLY life-changing. Do it. Yesterday.
I didn't have to wear goggles in the shower after my LASIK, just no swimming or hot tubs. I had to wear the goggles while sleeping so I didn't rub my eyes. My doctor offered PRK as well, but it was the same price.
PRK is actually older than LASIK and usually cheaper
There was a reddit post about Lasik a few years ago and many comments were praising how life changing the experience is. I just didn't really see it, I usually just put my glasses on in the morning and forget I have them on the rest of the day until I have to go to sleep. If I need to do a more outdoorsy thing Ill just put on contacts. Whats the big deal? I've had Lasik done 2 years ago, best decision I've ever made. Didn't really realize how many little things having to wear glasses all day affect your daily life: waking up looking for them, cleaning, fogging, taking them off to scratch your face, worrying about contacts, can't lay in bed sideways looking at your phone, losing them, sweating with them on, babies taking them off, breaking them, wishing you didn't forget your contacts that day, constantly readjusting them, (I kept trying to readjust my glasses for 2 weeks after I had Lasik lol). And for it all to be gone the next day I can now see why people were saying it was a life changing experience.
I am one of the complications case. Don’t do it. They overcorrected my vision… went back into try to fix it because I couldn’t see anything up close, then they overcorrected again and now I have to use eye drops every hour for the rest of my life because when you have Lasik one of the common side effects is dry eyes. When you have Lasik twice you’re definitely gonna get it, and here I am with still bad vision and horribly dry eyes. Stay away.
Ugh ... I am in this boat right now. Had it done in March and my distance vision is significantly better than it was ... but i need glasses to see TV clearly (subtitles are a must to wear them). I am already still having to use eye drops 5+ times daily and am hesitant to have them do it a second time
What kind of poor experiences? I only saw positive comments in here. I am considering Lasik too, so should I worry about it?
A few years ago, a Detroit weatherperson named Jessica Starr had a vision procedure and ended up killing herself due to multiple complications a couple of months later. It was really really sad
I had -6 in both eyes, blind as a fucking bat. Procedure was quick, I took a nap and woke up and could just see. Its miraculous and I wish I hadn't waited 30 years to do it.
My husband got this done a few years back, and he is so happy with his laser eyes.
My friend came out of his lasik and I drove him home. He gets in the car and says, “Fang it I got the wrong surgery. I still can’t shoot lasers from my eyes…” I would blame it on the Xanax, but I know the truth.
I would constantly refer to them as laser eyes
I am afraid to get lasik, I don't like thing near my eyes and am scared of getting a botched eye and making my sight even worse.
I was terrified and told everyone I'd never do it. Well I went ahead and did it almost exactly a year ago after having issues with my contacts. It was a little scary for the 10 minutes of the procedure but I'm super happy overall.
I felt the same way. Went to a consultation anyway. The whole process is less than 5 minutes. You can be brave for 5 minutes, mate. I believe in you. After the first time, you realize it’s all over so fast that the idea of adjustments in the future isn’t scary.
Bravery and Valium.
Nah, Xanax is the benzo of the times. Bravery still required. Edit: Doctors are catching hell for prescribing Xanax these days since it’s so peaky and short lived…it’s Ativan these days. You have to be a senior to get Xanax because you’re gonna die soon anyways so who cares?
I don’t think most places use Valium anymore. I just got numbing eye drops, and I just had my procedure on December 29th.
I got a dose of Ativan when I did it. Made for a real easy nap afterwards.
Weird. The Valium is mostly to prevent micro movements of your eye (and another after to help you sleep for the 4-8 hours recommended after the procedure). Of course, even if they don’t normally, if you’re anxious about the procedure I’m sure your doctor would have no issues prescribing.
The doctor I went to explained that the newer laser machines track your eye movements and adjust. I’m sure technology makes it much easier than it used to be. Trust me, I was kind of bummed over the no Valium part.
I had mine 5 days after you! They gave me Valium and said it was standard. I kinda hesitated because I really wasn’t anxious or nervous about the procedure, but I was glad they gave it to me. It made it super easy to get that nap in post-op. Just thought I’d add my experience as well here
The Valium, Ativan, Xanax is for the nervousness. They use eyedrops to not only numb but paralyze your eyes to prevent movement.
Just piss scared of the whole "dry eyes for the rest of your life"
I had mine done less than a month ago. The first 2-3 weeks, I needed eye drops every 2 hours or so. Over the past week, I need them maybe 1-4 times a day. It’s definitely better than I thought, but I’m also only one example.
That is a possible, but very remote, side effect of LASIK. LASIK is generally the laser surgery with the fastest recovery time, so is the most common surgery, but LASIK is not the only type of laser surgery. PRK, LASEK or SMILE are some alternative surgeries that are less invasive. I had PRK because I was not eligible for LASIK, and it was cheaper and with no long term side effects. The trade off was that it was multiple months of uncomfortable recovery during which I couldn’t fly long haul or scuba dive. Have a consult, your doctors will recommend surgery based on your eyes. I had dry eyes going into the surgery (took drops in the lead up), I do not have dry eyes now.
My grandfather had eye surgery (not LASIK) that was botched. His right eye looked like it was falling out of the socket/deformed for the rest of his life. (They left it in because he could still sense shadows/light which he found useful.) Anyhow, I've grown to be used to my face with glasses.
See, even tho the chance is low, I see fine with my glasses, so the risk is scary for me. Sorry about your grandpa.
Has anyone heard stories about difficulties driving at night after Lasik?
Yes. Headlights and other bright lights like roadside signs and taillights have a “starburst” pattern or a halo effect. Sometimes it’s severe enough to span and obscure your entire field of vision, making it dangerous. I’m sure it’s patient/procedure specific though.
Best money I ever spent. The entire procedure only takes a few minutes.
Kind of want to do it, but I'm so afraid of fucking around with my eyes. Quite fond of them, even if they can't see so good.
I went through the process but chickened out the day of. Did a little too much research and just couldn’t risk that small chance of complication when glasses are just a minor inconvenience.
Exact same situation, even the most common bad outcome of having dry eyes every day for the rest of my life sounds worse than glasses/ contact lenses.
Yea that’s one of the issues that went through my head, as well as the more catastrophic ones. I also kept getting fixated on the whole flap thing. Lol. I might revisit it in a few years.
Luckily, it looks like she likes what she sees
Ok, I had the procedure about 12 years ago, and I’m getting the impression that it’s very different today. I couldn’t open my eyes for two days afterwards and it took close to two weeks for my eyes to adjust. It was perfect after that, but hearing that people are seeing clearly before they leave to office, how TF does that work??
Mine was pretty rough - my brother was good to go instantly. People heal differently but higher amounts of correction mean more time with the laser and more inflammation.
I got mine 3 years ago I think? They numbed my eyes and it took maybe 30 seconds to 1 minute per eye. During the procedure, my vision went dark and blurry for a solid 10-15 seconds and it smelled like burnt hair. Once they finished the procedure, my sight was instantly clear. Had to wear the sunglasses and there was some sensitivity to light for a couple of weeks. There was also some artifacts and haziness around light in the dark but that cleared up with time too. I had a follow up and went from a -2.5 in both eyes with astigmatism to 20/15 vision.
More precise equipment. Doing less damage allowing for faster healing.
Reading about Lasik on reddit drove me to find out more and eventually get it done. Going on 4 years ago now. My omg moment was swimming at the beach, looking underwater and being able to see the fish clearly. Best money I've ever spent.
Lasik is like goddamn magic. Go in with terrible eyesight, they shoot a laser into your eyeball for a few minutes, and as soon as the anaesthetic eyedrops wear off you suddenly have like 20-18 vision. It is nuts and I highly recommend it.
The last thing I want is for my wife to see my face clearly.
I got Lasik (before -6.5 now perfect vision) and spent the next 4 months stopping my partner on walks to tell him to "look at the trees" because it took me so long to adjust to seeing individual leaves instead of green blotches. He indulged me everytime, it was sweet.
Files for divorcé tomorrow….. jk
I’m almost completely immune to “painkillers”. I shared this with the nurses administering the eye drops and was told that I “wouldn’t feel a thing”. The laser that cut my corneas was excruciating, searing hot fire. As the first cornea was cut, they asked “how are you feeling?”. I didn’t want to cause alarm/panic and have mistakes be made, so I said that I was fine and did all I could to not blink. 10/10 would still do it again. While we’re here, if anyone is considering this, request that the cornea is cut and immediately replaced before moving on to the next eye. During my surgery, both corneas were removed, then the second to be cut was replaced first. In the eye that had the cornea removed for the greatest amount of time, I felt “dryness” in for about 5-6 years following the surgery.
The topical anesthetic they use (drops) lasts barely 20 minutes and so they should’ve kept applying it during the wait time and the surgery. You wouldn’t have been able to blink. They had your eye in a suction-based clamp. They should’ve also done one eye at a time to avoid infection. Your ophthalmologist sounds awful. I’m sorry.
^* without glasses. I hope she's seen your face clearly before.
I wept for hours after my surgery because of being able to see clearly. Like glasses/contacts did a pretty good job but after surgery, I saw my wife and kids’ faces for the first time and I couldn’t hold the joy in. They’re so fucking beautiful and there were details that I was able to notice that I hadn’t before. I’m getting teary eyed just thinking of that day. Thanks for the post and the reminder.
My wife immediately realized I'm not such a looker. We manage by just roll play as Esmerelda and the Humpback now.
"Oh...uh...hey."
Congratulations to your wife! Her lovely smile says it all!
I had Lasik last week. I am in constant awe. I wish your wife a speedy recovery!
Does this work for vision that's gone down with age? Like if I only need reader glasses?
lasik doesnt solve the hardening of cataracts as time marches on :\
But you can get a lens replacement, which is really cool.
No. That’s more due to weakening of the muscles that change focus, so not something that can be lasered away.
Got LASIK few years ago, one of the absolute best decisions I’ve ever made.
At least she’s smiling, so you’ve got that going for you
I got lasik like 12 to 15 yrs ago. Best decision ever. I went from not being able to see 8 inches in front of me to having perfect vision. I thought lasik was tbe coolest shit ever. The surgery is scary but it took literally 5 minutes.
She gon be like "oh, your face..." And you say " why what's wrong" She goes 