LASIK or PRK?

FYI there are 3 type of refractive surgery: Lasik, Lasek, and PRK

Lasik /= Lasek

Another data point here.

I just had Lasik done on 12/3 of this year. I've been severely nearsighted since the 4th grade. Started out in glasses then, moved into contacts when I was 16. I was able to comfortably wear contacts for years, and could wear them for 16+ hours a day.

It was all good until I hit 40. Then the close in vision changed. It's kinda weird to describe, but once I hit 40 the close-in vision was good without glasses or contacts, but just sucked with corrective lenses on. PRior to me hitting 40 I was able to read or do close in work with glasses on. After 40, I was constantly taking glasses off in the er, library to read, work at a desk, etc... It got worse in the shop. I'd take them off to weld, to do some close-up work, misplace them when I got up to do something else. Once I started balancing the glasses on top of my head (I pretty much stopped messing with contacts -- the multi-focals suck) I started thinking about Lasik. I got even more serious about it when a friend told me he had it done a few years ago and did the monovision treatment and it helped tremendously....

According to my regular doctor and the Lasik doctors, pretty much everyone (there are exceptions, generalizing here), will have their near vision deteriorate as they get older. Additionally, if you are nearsighted, Lasik will give you better distance vision, but that "perfect" near vision will be "traded in" for better distance vision. I decided to go for it, especially after the concept of monovision was explained to me. With monovision, each eye gets a slightly different treatment. Your dominant eye is given better distance vision, the non-dominant eye is given slightly better near vision. your brain is able to compensate for the different vision in each eye.....it's only apparent to you when you close one eye and look through the other.

I personally LOVE this!!!!! I wake up being able to see the clock, my wife, things around the room. I can see to read without removing my glasses, and the time in the shop in now enjoyable since I spend less time looking for my glasses. Make no mistake, in the future I expect my near vision to degrade -- big deal, I can get a cheap set of readers at Wally World.

The Lasik experience wasn't bad at all -- it was 4 hours of minor pain and discomfort. Strangely enough at the 4 hour mark the pain and discomfort stopped almost as if a switch had been thrown. Pain. then. No Pain. And amazing that they can correct bad vision with 23 seconds of laser pulses in one eye, 15 seconds in the other.

Going to go to the gun range this week -- it'll be nice to just use shooting glasses instead of regular glasses and shooting glasses. Let's see how my accuracy is

If you are able to do it, I would recommend it. Best thing I have done for my peepers. Ever.

Ian F - My eyes have nerve endings where they say it's impossible for there to be nerve endings but even so there was little real discomfort with the process, but the healing was much quicker with the bladeless procedure.

I had my flap come lose on the bladed procedure and once it happened (not before so I would watch out for it) I was told it wasn't uncommon. Even the added discomfort (I really hesitate to call any part of the process painful) wasn't all that bad.

Contacts were never a comfortable option for me either. I've had soft contacts disintegrate into sand like particles in my eye before.

I too would have given just about anything to get rid of my glasses but there was never a day I didn't need my glasses. I do a lot of driving, reading and computer work. My eyes were never good enough to do all 3 without some enhancement at something. Carrying around a pair for when I needed the extra vision was a lot more work than just wearing them.

Monovison simply sucks. It simply means you can't do either close up work or far vision well. You can squint and try to interpret with your brain what you think you are seeing, but it relies more on brain power than actual vision.

I can run a road course without glasses but the fine detail needed for an autocross course means I either need to carry a passenger or wear my glasses.

I used to be able to take my glasses off to read, but that's not even an option for me now.

While I don't remember my "power" level, it's not bad, it's just the added astigmatism. Their contracts never mention astigmatism, only power, but power's not what you see with. Clarity is everything!

wbjones wrote: with Lasik (and I assume w/PRK) you'll probably end up with one eye surgically / permanently fixed for reading and the other permanently fixed for distance... takes a bit of getting used to, but most folk don't notice it after a few days

That is a particular procedure called Monovision and is done for people who need two prescriptions already, typically as they age. I am not slated for that. I understand that, as I get older, I will almost certainly need reading glasses. Right now, I'm 29 and am pretty good with that.

Another difference with the outfit I've chosen is that they will do refinements to the procedure if I'm not happy with the results. Not, "We got you to 20/40, that's good enough."

I've done my research, and these guys seem to get nothing but glowing reviews from people who have had Lasik or PRK from them.

I had lasik in one eye and prk in the other. The lasik eye was mostly healed the next day but the other eye hurt like hell and was really blurry for a week. The end result is the same. I honestly can't remember which eye got which procedure. I'd go with lasik if you're a good candidate.

Well, I got the Lasik done yesterday. Doing great today. My vision is already 20/20 and still clearing up. Basically, the last bit of fluid behind the flap still needs to flush itself out, and all the eyedrops I've been on irritate the surface of the eye. As I'm weened off of those, my vision will improve. Basically, my eyes feel a bit gummy, like just getting out of a pool.

The flap is good. No wrinkles. No Infections. Nothing. I'm a little bit more light sensitive and I need to be a bit careful for a while about not touching my eyes so I don't screw with the flap.

The procedure was pretty easy. No pain. A bit of mild discomfort but more weird than anything. Weirdest parts are when they use the device to clamp the lids open, and a suction device they apply to the eyeball to hold it for making the flap.

Went really easy and I'm super happy. Had one check-up today. The next one is in a week.

This was a canoe revival, but has anybody had any issues with either a few years (or many years) down the road?

I have had zero issues with my LASIK. Worked insanely well. The doctor actually said that my results were better than they were expecting. I am now corrected to around 20/15.

Only issue I have noticed is that I feel like I am more sensitive to glare. This is really only noticeable when dealing with car headlights. It can get downright nerve-wracking passing an oncoming car at night on a dark mountain road.

Well it's been three years since I had PRK done, and I'm still have no regrets about it. The sensitivity to sunlight seems to go down with time. I used to have to wear sunglasses every time I went outside (rain or shine). This summer, I can go outside without sunglasses if it's gray without feeling like my eyes are burning.

pigeon wrote: I'm waiting for lens implants to be perfected. Small slit in the cornea, slip in lens, voila, perfect vision. Vision changes? Swap out the lens. No lasers, no flaps, no worries about halos and other side effects. Until then my contacts will go in every morning as they have been for the last 18 years.

My GF had the implanted lens procedure done. I think they are pretty solid with the procedure now. She had very bad eyes, so the laser procedures were not even really an option.

The thing that bothers me about the laser procedures is that they are permanently altering your eyes. I would worry about any needed adjustments in the future (no expert here, I may be entirely wrong)

aircooled wrote: The thing that bothers me about the laser procedures is that they are permanently altering your eyes. I would worry about any needed adjustments in the future (no expert here, I may be entirely wrong)

Pretty much any surgery is permanently altering your body in some way.

When I went in for my first consultation to decide if I was a candidate, one of the first things they did was measure the thickness of my cornea. That lets them know how much adjustment they can do. If it needs to be adjusted later to improve distance vision, that is just a case of making a more concave adjustment. Easy enough to do. If they overcorrect and need to make it more convex, that is harder and takes more thickness.

One advantage of LASIK over PRK is that the healing time is so much faster that if they don't get it quite right on the first run, they can make a fine adjustment a few days or weeks later, rather than waiting for the full healing process of PRK.