Lasik eye surgery, should I do it?

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Sly21C

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I am thinking of having Lasik eye surgery done to my eyes. I am very short-sightered so I therefore constantly wear spectacles, which have very thick lenses bythe way. The last time I went to see my optometrist, I was told that I can qualify to have my eyes operated on because my eye condition is constant now, i.e. my eyes are not getting any better or any worse.

I guess my question is have any of you done Lasik eye surgery? Or do you know of someone who did? Is it a good idea to do Lasik eye surgery?
 
Go for it. I had mine done about 6 years back. Best feeling in the world to be rid of glasses. It's painless and quick, and you can see better the next day already.
My only issue is that my eyes need more light now. In sunlight my vision is excellent, but when it gets darker, its not quite as good, but it's not a problem at all.
 
Yeah, my optometrist did mention that. I guess not seeing properly at night is the small price one has to pay to have a 20/20 vision and be free from spectacles.
 
I also had it done 6 years ago and I'm still overjoyed at not needing specs after being shortsighted for 15 years. I only wish I could've afforded the procedure 5 years earlier! The discomfort of being near-blind for 2 days after the operation is completely worth it. I was also nervous about the success for a few months, but that's just as normal healing occurs. After 6 months I had better vision than most of my friends and family.
 
I would LOVE to let my wife do it... but she does not want to do it with someone that is not a referral. Any recommendations in the JHB area and what roughly is the prices?
 
Both my Uncle and My mom have had it done many years ago.

Well, My uncle was one of the first and it wasn't laser, they actually made 3 small cuts with a scalpel. He is seriously wanting to go get the laser done now as soon as he has money, as he needs to wear glasses again now after about 15 years.

My mother has never looked back (excuse the pun) I'll never forget taking her through to the hospital to have the patches removed and on the way back she was sitting in the car crying. I asked her what was wrong, and she said that she had never been able to read road signs, even with her glasses unless they were really close. For the first time her life, she could actually read the road sign to our turn off from the highway.

So while I cant say ya or nay, I know of two people who are really happy
 
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I'm against it.

Spectacles take a fraction of a second to put on or take off, your biggest concern is a smudge and you can find a pair that suit you or even complement your features.

LASIK is expensive; there are no data on the long term effects of the treatment and your biggest concern could be... well.. anything you could imagine going wrong with eyes really.

I may be paranoid or outright ignorant but those are my thoughts, you're welcome.
 
It is fantastic but there are risks albeit vv low. I have lasik induced keratoconus, probably one of 3-5 people in RSA so I have to go for a re-do and some cross-linking. Other than that it is great. See if you can get wavfront done - IIRC this is only available in PTA and CT.
 
steve-rsa said:
It is fantastic but there are risks albeit vv low. I have lasik induced keratoconus, probably one of 3-5 people in RSA so I have to go for a re-do and some cross-linking. Other than that it is great. See if you can get wavfront done - IIRC this is only available in PTA and CT.
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a re-do? on keratoconus? u mean ur gonna get more lasik done?
If i have understood u correctly, i would strongly advise against this, I have had keratoconus for 10 years and looked at all sorts of treatments, lasik is just above using pliers and a polishing machine to fix my vision..
 
As for the lasik question, its a relatively safe procedure, but maybe look at ICL's as well. Since its non permanent it could be a better option, although there are some risks with halo effects.
 
SlinkyMike said:
I'm against it.

Spectacles take a fraction of a second to put on or take off, your biggest concern is a smudge and you can find a pair that suit you or even complement your features.

LASIK is expensive; there are no data on the long term effects of the treatment and your biggest concern could be... well.. anything you could imagine going wrong with eyes really.

I may be paranoid or outright ignorant but those are my thoughts, you're welcome.
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I've lost spectacles, had a pair smashed on my face by a stone, they need constant cleaning, felt uncomfortable and left marks on my face. There have been millions of successful LASIK procedures and the sheer pleasure of having perfect vision, as well has being able to wear any sunglasses that I like, are worth the price-tag for the op. Do some research online and see what the actual specialists say about the procedure.
 
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Im not a legible candidate and would do it in a heartbeat, there really is nothing to think about,as far as I’m concerned. I loathe my glasses and contacts
 
Overall I'd say my vision is as good as I had with contact lenses with none of the drawbacks. Close to 10 years later and I can say I'm definitely glad I had it done. But don't go into LASIK with inflated expectations. Make sure you are aware of the potential side-effects.

SlinkyMike said:
I'm against it.

Spectacles take a fraction of a second to put on or take off, your biggest concern is a smudge and you can find a pair that suit you or even complement your features.

LASIK is expensive; there are no data on the long term effects of the treatment and your biggest concern could be... well.. anything you could imagine going wrong with eyes really.

I may be paranoid or outright ignorant but those are my thoughts, you're welcome.
Click to expand...
Well there are numerous disadvantages to spectacles, especially for active people. And spectacles are also very expensive. The other option would be contact lenses, but then those also say the longterm effects have not been established.
 
I had mine done more than 10 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did. I will recommend it to anyone that is suitable for the procedure. There are some initial side effects like halo vision around lights at night and driving at night can be a pain but after about 2yrs it's gone.

I'm no medical professional but honestly cannot foresee any long term side effects but time will tell. The procedure is performed on the cornea which is the outermost layer of your eye. It's a pretty tough layer as it's exposed to the elements and is what gets scratched etc all the time in day to day life. If it was any other layer I would be cautious.

The freedom it provides cannot be imagined and then there is the savings on spectacles & contacts lenses. If you are an active person you will enjoy it even more.
 
noxibox said:
Overall I'd say my vision is as good as I had with contact lenses with none of the drawbacks. Close to 10 years later and I can say I'm definitely glad I had it done. But don't go into LASIK with inflated expectations. Make sure you are aware of the potential side-effects.


Well there are numerous disadvantages to spectacles, especially for active people. And spectacles are also very expensive. The other option would be contact lenses, but then those also say the longterm effects have not been established.
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Agreed, my new set of specs is costing 7.5k, all i need is 1 moron to do something stupid (includes me) and thats down the toilet. Contact lenses are getting better with both comfort and visibility, especially for those with issues more serious than just short sightedness. As the the side effects of contacts, i dont think you can compare that to side effects of an operation on the eye. One is permanent, the other is not.

I have no option but to look at ICL's for contact lens free/ spectacle free vision, but eveyrone should check it out as an alternative to lasik. Anything permanent should be done with caution
 
tau1z said:
a re-do? on keratoconus? u mean ur gonna get more lasik done?
If i have understood u correctly, i would strongly advise against this, I have had keratoconus for 10 years and looked at all sorts of treatments, lasik is just above using pliers and a polishing machine to fix my vision..
Click to expand...

3 years after having lasik, the eyesight in my right eye started degenerating. The left eye was 100%. Cross linking was done on the right eye and has stabilised it, but in a keratoconic(?) state. After discussing with experts at a conference in the US and Greece I will be having lasik done on the flap of the RH eye to correct the vision. My left eye has started degenerating recently and the above will be repeated, just at a much earlier stage so hopefully the 2nd lasik does not have to be done. Otherwise it is corneal transplants.
 
Now that is very scary, I will definitely think twice about getting a Lasik eye surgery..............
 
Sly21C said:
Now that is very scary, I will definitely think twice about getting a Lasik eye surgery..............
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keratoconus is rare, any procedure has risks. Just read up and find an opthamologist you trust!
 
I strongly recommend speaking to a LASIK specialist rather than following the input of forum members, TBH. I was informed that normal aging will take place in my 40's and I may need specs again. But to have even 10 - 15 years of brilliant eyesight has been amazing. So if you're seriously considering the procedure, have your eyes tested and direct all your questions to the professional
 
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