No personal experience since my vision is good enough, but my friend had them done about a decade ago and has no regrets. Though I hear the corrections aren't permanent?
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Anyone had LASIK?
- Thread starter PrivatePilot
- Start date
No personal experience since my vision is good enough, but my friend had them done about a decade ago and has no regrets. Though I hear the corrections aren't permanent?
Supernam
Well-known member
Your eyes will still age and deteriorate over time like a normal person if that is what you meant.
Your cornea (in conjunction with your clear lens) refracts light to the retina at the back of your eye. The laser burning permanently removes corneal tissue to reshape the cornea in an effort to redirect the refraction. This corneal tissue will never grow back. Other changes can happen like the eyeball changing shape, length etc. due to pressure and other factors. I would consider the eyeball a living organism.
Not sure about flap or no flap. Did prk twice.
Optometrist told me usually they only cover for a year... not sure if referred to bochner or just everyone in general. They had to completely redo the surgery as my eyes had fully healed and returned to my old prescription.
$4800 was a student discount at the time. I didn't haggle or ask for bigger discounts etc...
PRK was very discomforting. Not sure how other surgeries compare, but totally worth it.
Optometrist told me usually they only cover for a year... not sure if referred to bochner or just everyone in general. They had to completely redo the surgery as my eyes had fully healed and returned to my old prescription.
$4800 was a student discount at the time. I didn't haggle or ask for bigger discounts etc...
PRK was very discomforting. Not sure how other surgeries compare, but totally worth it.
Thanks for the followup everyone...just got back from 3 days touring on the bikes and am catching up now.
Thanks, yeah, I knew about the pilots licence complications. Years ago they used to invalidate your flight medical completely for a year or two, but I just checked a few days ago and it's much more realistic now depending on your class of licence. In the end that's not a big deal to me as I haven't been flying much for some time anyways, at least as pilot in command.
I've taken all the positives and negatives into consideration when thinking about it for the last few years, and I had the last few days to think about it some more.
Honestly, and oddly enough, I think the thing I might miss most is, well....my "built in" sunglasses - for the last 10 or 15 years I've always ordered my primary glasses with transitions. So, I walk outside in the sun and within a few minutes my glasses are sunglasses. I walk back inside, and they go clear. I do also have a few pairs of true prescription sunglasses (polarized for outdoor stuff) and love them, but I do find it a pain in the *** always making sure they're where I need them, so I usually just end up relying on my "built in" ones instead with the transitions, which are of course, always on my face from the time I get out of bed until I climb back into it.
I'm keenly aware that if I get the surgery and no longer need my regular glasses, my built in sunglasses go with them, and I think that would be a big deal for me as it would require me to always carry a pair of sunglasses everywhere I go. And I'm left wondering if that would be more of a pain in the *** for me than just continuing wearing glasses, which after 40+ years isn't a massive inconvenience in the grand scheme of my day.
Hmmm. I'm really torn.
Thanks, yeah, I knew about the pilots licence complications. Years ago they used to invalidate your flight medical completely for a year or two, but I just checked a few days ago and it's much more realistic now depending on your class of licence. In the end that's not a big deal to me as I haven't been flying much for some time anyways, at least as pilot in command.
I've taken all the positives and negatives into consideration when thinking about it for the last few years, and I had the last few days to think about it some more.
Honestly, and oddly enough, I think the thing I might miss most is, well....my "built in" sunglasses - for the last 10 or 15 years I've always ordered my primary glasses with transitions. So, I walk outside in the sun and within a few minutes my glasses are sunglasses. I walk back inside, and they go clear. I do also have a few pairs of true prescription sunglasses (polarized for outdoor stuff) and love them, but I do find it a pain in the *** always making sure they're where I need them, so I usually just end up relying on my "built in" ones instead with the transitions, which are of course, always on my face from the time I get out of bed until I climb back into it.
I'm keenly aware that if I get the surgery and no longer need my regular glasses, my built in sunglasses go with them, and I think that would be a big deal for me as it would require me to always carry a pair of sunglasses everywhere I go. And I'm left wondering if that would be more of a pain in the *** for me than just continuing wearing glasses, which after 40+ years isn't a massive inconvenience in the grand scheme of my day.
Hmmm. I'm really torn.
If you have more days behind you than in front of you there could be cataracts in your near future. Cataract surgery now entails installing prescription lenses directly into the eye (to replace the crystalyne lens). I know older people who are waiting for that rather than doing laser. Also eyeglasses, even non-safety glasses, provide eye protection. I've had stuff bounce off my glasses, hasn't everybody, imagine if you hadn't been wearing your glasses at the time? That would make lasik a non issue. OTOH you don't hear much about regular people walking around with punctured eyeballs from day to day use. I wonder what is the cost/ benefit of walking around with naked eyes?
My dad had cataract surgery and it cleaned his vision right up for a while; I think he's back to reading glasses now. Mom started with worse vision than I had, but it improved as her eyes got older until she could drive without glasses.
@PrivatePilot Couldn't you just get clear transition lenses in an old pair of frames and wear them if needed, or even a pair of transition sunglasses?
@PrivatePilot Couldn't you just get clear transition lenses in an old pair of frames and wear them if needed, or even a pair of transition sunglasses?
Yes, but at that point I guess there's two ways to look at that.
- Might as well just keep wearing regular glasses and saving the time and expense of lasik.
- Might as well just get the lasik and carry sunglasses everywhere and take them on/off as needed.
A big part of the appeal in having my eyes fixed is in being able to wear "regular" sunglasses in different styles vs having to stick with 1-2 pairs of prescription sunglasses in admittedly very limited styles - wraparound lenses (think Oakley style type thing) etc is impossible in my prescription. But not sure the downside of having to carry those sunglasses everywhere (sunglasses inside drives me nuts, too dark, so I'd immediately take them off) ultimately works for me. Like I said, I'm kind of torn.
Another part of the appeal is not having dirty glasses all the time. I'm not sure how, but 10 minutes after I clean them...dirty again...constantly.
But yes, I see your point in that a clear (non prescription) lens with the transitions would be a reasonable meet in the middle for some situations, or if I find not having my "built in" sunglasses after the surgery is a PITA sometimes, it would be a solution.
Ultimately, I'm sure I'd adjust, but it's really a 1-way street once the surgery is done.
Look at it this way:
-Sunglasses can now cost as little as $5 since they are no longer tied to your prescription
-Wider range of stylistic choices (you could now wear true Aviators like Maverick)
-No longer having to wait through transition period of lenses, or being unable to clearly see shaded objects outside
Also I have had ****ers steal my prescription sunglasses because they thought they were just nice sunglasses. They now have sunglasses that are useless to them (which probably get chucked in a garbage can) and I am out an expensive pair of glasses
suzuki2000
Well-known member
i had Lasik in May, should have done it sooner. I am happy, eyes get tired a little easier, but i am still transitioning. My eyes sucked, strong prescription, astigmatism.... I am sure i will be in for a touch up, free for life, but I am ok with that.
Only thing I dont like, is i do need reading glasses. The way i understand it, if you need reading glasses now (bifocals) you will need readers after (told that the best thibg is tojust use cheap cheaters...
Only thing I dont like, is i do need reading glasses. The way i understand it, if you need reading glasses now (bifocals) you will need readers after (told that the best thibg is tojust use cheap cheaters...
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