And people said I was crazy to not get Lasik Surgery - see who has the last laugh....

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2010/01/25/lasik_problems/index.html?source=rss&aim=/mwt/feature

Lasik's blurry vision
Side effects continue to plague patients like me. Now, as the FDA investigates, one expert admits, "We screwed up"


The other day I got a prescription for eyeglasses. This is not newsworthy in itself except for one thing: More than two and a half years ago I had Lasik (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis), specifically so I could toss away the spectacles I wore for near-sightedness. I knew that eventually I would need reading glasses, but I would, I was assured, be able to see long-distance for a long time.

Problem is, I can't.

Not only is my vision blurred, but as I wrote in a 2008 article for the New York Times, I still see halos, and not the kinds with angels attached. It takes a good 10 minutes for my eyes to adjust to dimly lit rooms. My eyes are scratchy and as dry as the desert. Yes, before I got the surgery I signed an "informed consent" saying I understood all the possible side effects, but I certainly never knew that they might last indefinitely, and that they would be more than "annoying," as my doctor promised. But nearly three years later, they are still here. And while I could get an "enhancement" -- that's industry parlance for another surgery to correct errors -- frankly, the only thing I want near my eyes is mascara.

<<<snip>>>

And in August, Consumer Reports Health released the results of a survey, which found that 55 percent of Americans who've had laser vision correction surgeries are still wearing glasses or contacts some of the time. Fifty-three percent experienced at least one side effect within the first four weeks of the surgery; 22 percent of patients experienced them six months after surgery, especially dry eyes, halos, glare and starbursts around lights.

On "Morning Edition"

I have always been wary of this surgery but it really impressed me how the surgery damages your eyes when I read the book Into Thin Air and learned about the man whose eyes actually collapsed on him due to lasik weakening when he was attempting to climb Everest. Not that I plan on climbing Everest anytime soon (i.e., ever) but it still impressed upon me that cutting your eyeballs is not a good way to plan for the future. I will continue with my spectacles.

And even then I can get away driving without as long as I'm familiar with the route (like to & from work).

I do find I have to take my glasses off when reading, but that's not a bother to me. Probably why I rarely wear my contacts anymore.

I had lasik five years ago, and I still don't need reading glasses.

A few years ago, after 30 years of horrible, crappy vision and waking up semi-blind, I had Lasik. Now, I can SEE! It's a miracle, a miracle, I tell you! :woohoo:

will not do it. I am so nearsighted that, uncorrected, I have to hold a book literally at my nose to read it. I get much better than 20/20 vision with my contacts and I don't think they're a hassle at all. I don't see any reason for me to get the surgery, and I've had it recommended a lot.

Just consider how many medical doctors wear glasses.

How come you're wearing glasses?

I'll stick to my contacts and glasses

Or did he just sort of change the subject?

middle age, I found that I couldn't wear the contacts anymore; dry eye, etc. So, glasses. Then bifocals - the kind with the line because the 'progressive' lenses were impossible for me (some people can't adjust to them).

I got lasix. I still need readers, but other than that I am lenses free and happy with my decision.

Whenever I see a story like this, I am reminded of the silicone breast implant war, resulting in an FDA ban. It was an extreme over-reaction, based on a limited number of apocryphal stories, raised to a fever-pitch in the media. The bottom line was that no one ever suggested that the information about risk and side-effects were not available . . . but that didn't stop people from taking the standard rate of 4% for encapsulation/rupture (which was known and understood) and turning it into "OMG!!!! FOUR PERCENT!!!!"

Silliest damn thing I ever saw.

There are risks to everything in life. I'm sorry the person who wrote that article has problems with their lasix - but trying to make it sound like the procedure is just TOO fraught with danger is whiny hyperbole.

I had astigmatism and was extremely nearsighted - the last ophthalmologist who gave me a figure put my vision at 20/600, which is considered legally blind if uncorrected. After lasik my distance vision isn't great, but passes the test for my driver's license easily. My near vision is good, though I do need readers for very small print - phone books and such. I do have some haloing, which isn't a problem for me since I don't do a lot of night driving.

In my case it's been far more positive than negative, but obviously mileage may vary.

For some people, there is a legitimate reason for the surgery. Perhaps a woman had a mastectomy and wants to keep her breast even or I know a girl that was naturally so huge that it was killing her back and she had about 15lbs removed thru a reduction. But for most people, they get boobs jobs because they perceive somehow their life will be better if they increase their breast sizes even though there is an inherent risk with the surgery.

It's the same thing with Lasik. It sounds like you had a very good reason to have the surgery done. But I know someone whose vision wasn't that bad - just needed glasses for driving, like vanity was the reason he got it done. In a few years he may or may not need to use glasses again for driving which means he spent a couple of thousand dollars to hold off what was going to happen anyways.

i agree that lasik surgery is a poor risk/reward tradeoff, at least for me. the advantage of not wearing glasses is minimal, and virtually any surgery-sized risk is huge compared to the gain.

i can see it being of benefit to an actor or pilot, or a VERY serious sports player. but none of those are me....


i did have a "nose job" years ago but only because it was seriously mangled in a highway-speeds car crash. could breathe out of one nostril at a time at best, and usually not at all. mouth-breathing all the time is no fun, and eating and drinking with a completely closed nose is no fun either. the outward appearance of my nose barely changed, which is fine with me.

But I agree completely.

I had this dream of never using implants, artificial materials of any sort. Yet, my few cavities are filled, I've had surgery on the back to put in a couple of rods, because of a drunk driver, and realize that my early dreams may have been erroneous. But, the more I read about Lasik, the less I like the idea. I wear bifocals, and would love to get rid of them, but not now.

We joked around and said she was the 'Black Dolly Parton' because she was built petite just like Dolly; however, for this girl those were real. And the girl had such horrid back problems carrying all that weight that if something was not done she would end up having back surgery in a a few years to repair the lower back issues. She was able to get her insurance to pay for the reduction and within 6 months her back was feeling much much better. And she really looked much better without all that extra weight in front. (She went from something like a G-cup down to a small C).

but i'm still having a tough time reconciling "she did not look good" with "black dolly parton ... petite ... real ... g-cup"

:evilgrin:

I mean, the way you're doing now? Just wondering.

you have no idea what the burden of large breasts is truly like. You're just a man who enjoys ogling them.

you have no idea who you're talking to or what i'm all about.
evidently, you're just someone who likes to invent a negative picture around a single, joking post.

sorry if my not using an emoticon threw you.

Lasik may not be worth it and it sounds like your friend is one of those people, though I hope he doesn't need glasses later.

For anyone who has really poor vision it's great - I wore glasses from the time I was 7 and hated not being able to see without them. When I went swimming with friends I couldn't find anyone - it was all a blur - and felt helpless. I hated the rain because it messed with my vision. Even when I got my first contacts (age 16), there were limits; for example, I couldn't wear them at night so always woke up groping for my glasses. By the time soft lenses advanced to the point they were useful to me, my eyes had gotten so dry that they were very uncomfortable.

To me Lakik was magic - the first morning after the procedure I took a shower and could tell the shampoo from the conditioner without holding them three inches in front of my face, woohoo! :woohoo: Now I wake up in the morning and can see the clock, I walk in the rain and enjoy it, and am happy that my ability to see can't be altered by someone/something knocking off my glasses or contacts.

The shampoo comment makes me laugh. I always, always keep them in a certain order, shampoo on left, conditioner on right. That way I always know what bottle I'm grabbing. A couple of times after buying new bottles, I had them switched and I was pissed when I tried to shampoo my hair with conditioner (why isn't this bubbling up???).

Yeah it's a absolute honor and privilege to wear glasses that fog up in the summer, have to be cared for continuously, and are freaking expensive to own. I guess if I was vain i could always shove plastic or glass in my eye, that always feels good.

I'm just saying you need to weigh the risks associated with either surgery (and there are some serious risks and it seems the surgery isn't always fixing the problem) before you decide.

I know I could benefit from the lasik surgery (and hell perhaps I need a bit more than the b-cup I have too) but I'll deal with steamy glasses over having a laser essentially slice my eye open and hope that it's put back right.

But my other eye is slightly far sighted. When I was younger, I could read without my glasses, but now that I am older, my good eye will no longer focus that close. I checked into LASIK but was told that they could not treat vision as bad as mine. And even though this was a number of years ago, they also suggested that I wait until I need cataract surgery and get replacement lenses to correct my vision.

The thing is that could be twenty or thirty years from now - Dad just had cataract surgery on one eye and is preparing to have the other one done - and he will be 87 in March. Mom does not and probably never will need it - she will turn 89 soon.

He said, "Well, we don't really use that system when eyesight is as poor as yours."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because the measurement based on what someone with perfect vision could see from X feet, you'd have to be 20 feet away to see-- and people as nearsighted as you can see anything from 20 feet away."

"Oh."




I'm still too scared to get Lasik. And I like to pretend my glasses hide my undereye bags and crows feet. :rofl:

And the reponse was "it's off the chart". Not surprisng cuz several years ago it was 20/800.

My sister had it done over a year ago. She's never had any problems and she loves it...

...but she paid $5k and had it done at the Cleveland Clinic's Cole Vision Center. The doctor had done 22,000 procedures.


You can pay $3k for the surgery and get it done at any number of facilities. Maybe there IS a difference in quality.

Sid

I paid the same amount your sister did and had my eyes done by the eye doctor for the 49ers. I haven't had any problems either and I love being able to see without glasses.

Some facilities don't even use calibrated laser equipment.

She is nearsighted like me and couldn't stop raving about how wonderful it was. And she kept telling me I must get it too!

At the time I told her jokingly that I would wait a bit and see how her eyes did over time.

Now she is back to wearing glasses. Her sight is still better than before the surgery but the point is she needs glasses again.

So I am glad I didn't do it.

Don't think I could anyway since I have had macular hole surgery but even if I hadn't I just can't see spending money for surgery that in the end results in you still having to depend on glasses. Aside from my friend I know 4 other people who had the surgery and needed glasses again after a while.

I know there are real cases of such risks being realized, and they are horrific when they happen.

anytime he'd come into a room and switch on a lamp because he thought I was reading in too dim a light: "There's only one set per customer."

I was an early adopter of Lasik, having the surgery on my right eye (the eye that could no longer tolerate a contact lens) 14 years ago, after thoroughly researching the procedure and the leading surgeons through the original FDA investigational findings... I was prepared to go to Atlanta, but found that the other leading original researcher/Surgeon was in Denver. This surgeon had, at the time, more experience than nearly anyone else in the country and that makes a big difference. I still see slightly better than 20/20 out of that eye. A year ago, I let him correct the other eye for mono-vision to retain as much close vision for as long as possible. It has worked out quite well. I never wear glasses, though in the past year I decided to get a pair for night time driving, since having 20/20 out of only one eye is a bit of a strain in low light conditions, especially in ice and snow conditions.

In the past 10 years and given the profitability, there has been an explosion in Lasik Centers. Some of these surgeons are not overly experienced and not all calibrate their equipment to the extent that they should. I have tried hard to get as many people as I could to go to my own surgeon or to at least check it out more critically with other eye doctors. Unfortunately those centers that would offer credit or lower prices are very tempting and I know a lot of people have ignored my advice and gone to them.

So, keep in mind this report of problems is lumping quality procedures with those that are decidedly NOT.

Didn't laser (eye) surgery kill Farah Fawcett in that movie?

The doctor, who was a Runner sympathizer, was killed by his machine.

I can't %$^%! see! That said, I decided a while back to wait for LASIK to be perfected before trying it. It's discouraging that after a decade, that hasn't taken place.

In fact, I'd like a vitamin to cure my near-sightedness, please.

As in carrots or tomatoes?

ONLY ten percent??? I'll stick with my glasses, thanks.

I'd LOVE to be able to get Lasik, but my eye sight is too bad to even get it done. I would be happy if it just went down to wearing a freaking -2.0 contact and corresponding glasses. It's not vanity, do you know what a PITA it is the fact that I cannot freaking see anything without contacts or glasses. I just love trying to put makeup on without contacts, I have to get within an inch or two from the mirror, to where I'm almost cross-eyed and I still manage to jam the mascara wand in my freaking eye almost every time. Oh and I just looooove it when I get something in my eye and scratch it, it's a joyful event.

I'm praying for cataracts (I'm only 29), at least then I could get the HD Lens/Crystal Lens put in and correct my vision.

and do not regard the longterm risks when getting it.

I'm not talking about those that are nearly blind. More like people like me. I need glasses when I drive or look at something more than a few feet away from me. When it comes to reading or working on the computer I go without any glasses. But I know people who have similiar vision as mine and they'll still spend a few thousand to correct stuff. It makes no sense. And I know it's a risk that just isn't worth the potential side affects.

But as with all cosmetic surgery, it's up to the patient to hear the risks and decide if it's for them.

Thanks for the suggestion. My prayers for cataracts hasn't come through yet. :)

It took me 61 years, but I finally shed my -17.00 glasses, thanks to cataracts. I now have +.5 vision and need to wear reading glasses but it was worth it. Through the years, I kept researching the intraocular lenses - I think it's called clear lens replacement - but I didn't get around to it. It's funny, though, I do miss my extreme close-up vision. Threading a needle is a lot harder!

My eyes finally stopped changing just a couple of years ago. Thankfully. I think I'll be at -12.00 for awhile.

When I asked my then eye doctor about the laser surgery about 5 years ago, he just shook his head and said no, but did tell me that the lens replacement will be my best bet. If only I could get my health or vision insurance to cover it. Otherwise, I'd have to wait for my dad to get it done (his eyesight is just a little better than mine, at least now we know for sure I'm his daughter). If he got it done, he'd pay for me to get it done. :)

Reading about too many instances such as this for me to get this surgery.

Some people are going to do well and recover completely. Some won't.


I'm thinking specifically of Total Knee Replacement surgery right now. Mr Pip and I have friends who have had it. Some are real happy they did it...others are miserable. I know of one woman who actually died from an infection.

So Mr P had it done in October, on one knee. Hasn't decided yet if he wants to do the other one. He's not miserable, but not quite overjoyed, either.

Anyway, one of those people who had the knee replacement surgery IS miserable, but she had Lasik eye surgery and was totally happy with it.

Who knows how it will all turn out...

:shrug:

kept after me to have lasik surgery.

He would not shut up about it so I moved on.

And honestly, I've been using the same glasses for the last 3 years (my vision has not changed) and two years ago I bought a year supply of contacts and still have a bunch unused. I have a decent vision plan that means I'll only spend about $50 a year tops on my vision unless I opt to get new glasses. Then maybe I end up spending $100. Since Lazik is not covered under my insurance (just discounted). I figured it would take about 15 years until I started saving money.

It's the pitts! If someone told me I had a 10% chance of having chronic dry-eye after a surgery I could live without, knowing now how it feels, no way in HELL would I risk it!

I compare it in effect to someone who has migraines. 75% of the time I can get by with minor to moderate irriatation. But there are days when I am pretty much incapacitated due to the pain I have.

Mine is not related to elective surgery. But if I was researching a surgery and saw this as a chance, I would run!

after moving to a very dry, arid climate where there is absolutely no hope of wearing contact lenses with my corneal shape and mildly dry eyes. Get LASIK! everyone told me, assured me that their uncle or wife's mother's stepson's neighbor had gotten the surgery and was perfectly happy. Yep....NOPE.

I'm perfectly happy with my glasses thank you very much.

as I am getting older and running into the need for different corrections at different distances, the newer thin styles we have now are great. For close up reading I can generally just look down below the the level of the glasses (when they are situated in proper position) and read as though no correction (which works for me still) or of course simply slide the glasses down the nose and look over. For that in between area like reading computer screens, I've found that simply sliding the glasses about halfway down my nose brings the screen in perfect focus. So with the current style I have effectively tri-focals without actually having tri-focals.

Glasses are my friends.

glasses are my friends. I have worn them for so long, they feel a part of me and with today's styles, the possibilities are endless!

My eyes aren't great, but they're the only ones I have. Anyway, I ride a bike everywhere. Specs keep bugs and birds out of my eyes.

:woohoo:

And create a laser beam to cut through the Hatch.

The results were so mixed that it raised red flags with me almost immediately. People either loved it, and wondered why it took them so long to have it, or they said it was absolutely the worst thing they ever did. If someone's going to be cutting on me -- with a scalpel, laser, or whatever -- I want it to be for a lasting benefit. Otherwise, I'll pass, thanks. My glasses and contacts aren't that much of a hassle.

Since most of you reading this thread are very near-sighted, I thought it appropriate to remind everyone of the risk of "detaching" a retinea being so much greater for those with severe myopia. While the risk of a detached retinea in the general population might 1 in 10,000, it increases dramatically for those with myopia over -5.0 and approaching 1 in 10 for those -8.0 and above who are aged 45-65.

If you start seeing flashes of light, lots of floaters, or any other signs for detached retinea, immediately seek medical care. This is a medical emergency, your ability to see at all is a risk.

Because I was aware that I was in the high-risk group, when I had a detachment at 6pm, I saw the doctors that night and had surgery they next morning. Surgery was successful. Eight years later, I still have extra floaters in that eye, but its vision is mostly correctable using -10.0 contacts. (I mostly wear a weaker lense in that eye and use it as my "close" eye for mono-vision.)

As someone with severe nearsightedness, my eye doctors have always stressed that if I start having "floaters" etc to get immediate medical care.

I'm approaching that risk category.

VSes usually don't happen until one is older than I am, but because I'm so nearsighted I'm at a much higher risk. I'm getting checked periodically for the next three months to make sure this doesn't progress into a detached retina. Fun times!

too and am monitored as well. My PVD causes periodic blurriness especially with night driving. It's not too bad but makes me leery of any surgery that isn't necessary. Plus Lasik wouldn't change this.

Good luck to you.

including fluctuations in vision, I decided to stick with my good, old-fashioned easily replaceable and upgradable glasses. I've worn them for fifty years now. They're no big deal, certainly not enough to risk eye problems for.

this because I would be one of the people who would get all of side effects.

:rofl: :D

... But I still see well, and still contend that despite these two things, it was $2000 worth spending. I may need reading glasses soon, but my regular vision is still near perfect.

I'm only one person, so with that 55% number, I'm pretty lucky, I'd say.

I had essentially lost the vision in my right eye due to a trauma induced cataract. Surgery restored the vision to 20/20.

I also had an age related cataract in the left eye, and I had that replaced also. Not sure it really needed it but the difference between the 20/50 vision in the left eye and the 20/20 in the right eye was giving me headaches. I still need glasses for reading but I had them before as well.

The surgery involves removal of the lens and replacement with a plastic lens. It took about 30 minute on an out patient basis and did not involved anesthesia. According to my doctor, Medicare is in the process of approving the interocular lens replacement as a remedy for myopia.

I also learned that, if we live long enough, everyone will develop cataracts to one degree or another. Left untreated they almost invariably lead to blindness or near blindness. They only treatment is this relatively simple surgery. So I guess you could look at the lens replacement surgery as a preventive measure.

I don't know if everything went back to normal or not, but it was pretty awful at the time.

I'll keep my specs, thanks.

said it felt like a razor across his eyes. he is a big guy, maybe he needed more numbing stuff, I don't know, or maybe it was a discount doc, but the tale was enough to sway my hesitancy.

Contacts are a pain, but it's not like I swim or am soldiering in the desert. I've read contact lenses are banned for soldiers in desert places because one speck of sand on a contact lens can spell disaster and waste valuable time. That's the main thing about contacts I hate-and am so lucky I have never caused a car accident when an eyelash or something gets in my eye-you contact lens wearers know what I mean.

My eye doc told me I had a bit of astigmatism (not much) and I was not a good candidate.
I'm a -7 in my good eye and a -9.5 in my bad eye. That's 6 inches in the good eye and four inches in the bad one.

I've worn glasses since second grade and needed them before that. Mom always wondered why I had my nose in a book. She took me to the eye doc and found out. And she felt stupid. She and dad and sister all had perfect vision. They only wore reading glasses.

High school I got hard contacts and adapted well. Now I'm in bifocals and one doc said I couldn't get contacts. The smart lady I went to said I could do one lens in near and one lense in far and my brain would merge them,called monovision. She made the good eye near, and the bad eye (L) far.

I can see much better in contacts, I think I'm 20/15 which is impossible in glasses. I used to wear contacts in high school because I thought I would get a date. I was wrong. :wtf: Makeup, contacts, nothing helped. I was very bright, kiss of death for a girl to be popular in my day.

I will not give up my glasses. I have to whip them off to read the fine print on pill bottles and labels and everything else, which I cannot do with contacts.

Cheap glasses: www.zennioptical.com


I finally got a lowly lens grinder to explain those numbers.
Those are diopters. A diopter is a meter, 39.37 inches.
If you're a minus you divide 39.37 inches by your correction number which gives you your focusing distance.

NO way I would do laser surgery.

I recently was near a very loud emergency siren alert and one of my eye experienced "floaters" and sharp light flashes. Six months later I am still having problems with the one eye and I had contacted the FDA about it because they were doing a study on it but never heard back from them. Anyone else have this issue with loud noises?

FDA Lasik Report here:

http://www.attorneyatlaw.com/2009/10/fda-launches-investigation-of-lasik-eye-surgery-problems/

FDA Lasik policy here:

http://www.fda.gov/medicaldevices/productsandmedicalprocedures/surgeryandlifesupport/lasik/default.htm

She told me of so many horror stories and turned me away from ever getting it done.

I'll stick with my contact lenses.