Laser eye surgery - what are the risks?
My eyesight's not too bad, but the thought of never needing to wear glasses is a very tempting.
From what I understand, it's a pretty simple and risk free procedure. But being the total pessimist, I always think something will go wrong. So, I could end up being blind or continue living sighted but simply inconvenienced by a pair of lens on my head.
Weighing the risks...
From what I understand, it's a pretty simple and risk free procedure. But being the total pessimist, I always think something will go wrong. So, I could end up being blind or continue living sighted but simply inconvenienced by a pair of lens on my head.
Weighing the risks...
Comments
I had an astigmatism (sp?) and dreaded the idea of someone shining a cutting light into my peepers. I did a bit of research on holistic cures and tried the following: bilberry, grape seed extract, and bunches of red globe grapes with seeds (as the seeds will be ingested).
After about six months of very religious intake (grapes are yummy and it was easy to eat a bunch a day), I began noticing my glasses were becoming a bit difficult to focus through. A trip to the eye doctor, and he told me I now have 20/20 vision (used to have 20/35).
As a bit of history, this happened after 15 years of having prescription eyeglasses where the prescription never changed. The thing that prompted me is that my sister had the same prescription for about the same amount of time, but recently her eyes have gotten much worse. Fearing the same for me, I was desparate enough to try a nutritional alternative. And it worked!
Your mileage may vary, but look into it...
Edit: And, no, my sister has not tried this. And anyone else I've suggested it to says "I tried it for a week and nothing happened!" Note that I mention above a "very religious intake" - like, every day.
Originally posted by JimDreamworx
After about six months of very religious intake (grapes are yummy and it was easy to eat a bunch a day), I began noticing my glasses were becoming a bit difficult to focus through. A trip to the eye doctor, and he told me I now have 20/20 vision (used to have 20/35).
Uh... didn't you notice that you didn't need your glasses anymore? Or is that not what 20/20 means?
Originally posted by spotcatbug
Uh... didn't you notice that you didn't need your glasses anymore? Or is that not what 20/20 means?
That's the thing! I was forcing my eyes to focus with the glasses, and I could tell that something was going on, but never thought about walking around without glasses to see how things were. I was still skeptical about this holistic treatment and one thing I was not doing was checking my vision every day on an eyechart, just eating healthy and hoping for the best, not knowing when things might improve. I needed the validation of an eye doctor doing all the tests. I was one of those people who would always wear glasses and wasn't used to seeing the world without them. Comes from driving everywhere and being used to the photo-tint built into them.
For the first three months, not having the photo-tint was a bit of an issue as my eyes were sensitive to brightness. Yeah, yeah, I could've bought sunglasses, but this was the first time in my life that I didn't have the weight on top of my nose, it was liberating! And my eyes adjusted back to a natural state. Now I don't go near sunglasses.
He explain me there was two technics :
the excimer : the laser sculpt the center in the cornea to correct the vision. The cicatrisation occurs in the next weeks, and have to be controlled in order to have the proper thickness of the cornea.
the Lasic, the laser cut the cornea, split it, and a lens is inserted to correct the vision. The cicatrisation is much shorter. This technic is better (the results are more precise however).
but these two technics have reverse effects : the vision of contrast diminue (people usualy don't complain about this issue, but it's right) and in the night vision you see halo of lights due to diffraction. The halo and the diminution of contrast is due to the interface between the implant or the excised zone who diffract the light.
I did not care of the halos, but the diminution of contrast is not a good thing in my job (surgery). So i stay with my lenses or my glasses.
For the danger : there is always one in any surgical procedures. It's slow however.
Originally posted by Dogcow
From what I understand, laser surgery will correct your current vision, but your vision can still degrade, resulting in more surgery or glasses. Just goo ask a doctor, see what they say.
yes your vision have to be stabilised. And it won't prevent you to encounter presbytia at the age of 45
Stories like this make me not want the surgery.
Originally posted by Stoo
IIRC, 20/20 means that you can read 20 point text at 20 feet. (I think it's distance/size, as 20/35 is worse).
really? that's interesting.
I have 20/20 at least, probably a bit better, well...'better' is subjective, I'm far sighted, but I don't have a problem when things are close really.
I'm just glad I got this LCD now(powerbook) my old iMac was KILLING my eyes, after using that thing so long, I noticed how I slowly had to start sitting closer and closer to have things comfortable!
I love my eyes and my vision, I hope I never need glasses, me and my oldest brother are the only ones in our family without any form of glasses, I feel fortunate for that, I would be hard pressed to deal with glasses, and I could never handle contacts.
hopefully, if my eyes ever do start to degrade(as has happened to friends of mine) by that time laser eye surgery will be 1) more developed and failsafe and 2) more economical/practical
Originally posted by Stoo
IIRC, 20/20 means that you can read 20 point text at 20 feet. (I think it's distance/size, as 20/35 is worse).
Close.
20/20 means you can see at twenty feet what the arbitrarily chosen 'normal' eye can see at twenty feet.
So 20/15 means you can see at 20 feet what the normal eye needs 15 feet for; conversely, 20/35 means at 20 feet your level of vision is that of a normal eye at 35 feet.
there just isn't a large testing group of people who got the surgery done 50 years ago to know what the long term effects are yet. something to keep in mind, anyway...
Originally posted by JimDreamworx
I used to wear glasses and considered this option.
I had an astigmatism (sp?) and dreaded the idea of someone shining a cutting light into my peepers. I did a bit of research on holistic cures and tried the following: bilberry, grape seed extract, and bunches of red globe grapes with seeds (as the seeds will be ingested).
After about six months of very religious intake (grapes are yummy and it was easy to eat a bunch a day), I began noticing my glasses were becoming a bit difficult to focus through. A trip to the eye doctor, and he told me I now have 20/20 vision (used to have 20/35).
As a bit of history, this happened after 15 years of having prescription eyeglasses where the prescription never changed. The thing that prompted me is that my sister had the same prescription for about the same amount of time, but recently her eyes have gotten much worse. Fearing the same for me, I was desparate enough to try a nutritional alternative. And it worked!
Your mileage may vary, but look into it...
Edit: And, no, my sister has not tried this. And anyone else I've suggested it to says "I tried it for a week and nothing happened!" Note that I mention above a "very religious intake" - like, every day.
What quantities of bilberry, grape seed extract, and red globe grapes did you eat a day?
Aries 1B
CAn you give me more info on that?
I'm sick of wearing glasses and contacts and the laser eye operation just still has too much risk.
Originally posted by rok
i suppose this caveat can be said of any medical treatment in its relative infancy (okay, this procedure more of an adolescent now), but there is also the point that the procedure has not been in existence and used regularly long enough for anyone to know what happens over long periods of time to who get this surgery.
there just isn't a large testing group of people who got the surgery done 50 years ago to know what the long term effects are yet. something to keep in mind, anyway...
Yeah, that my greatest concern...possible long term negative effects.
It's like that whole silicone breast augmentation which later caused major health issue for women.
Originally posted by satchmo
My eyesight's not too bad, but the thought of never needing to wear glasses is a very tempting.
From what I understand, it's a pretty simple and risk free procedure. But being the total pessimist, I always think something will go wrong. So, I could end up being blind or continue living sighted but simply inconvenienced by a pair of lens on my head.
Weighing the risks...
Any chance you've watched that Laser Surgery infomercial on CTV lately? If you haven't, the show the surgery. Pretty freaky.
Personally, I'll stick with my specks.
pretty bad. i wonder if it is out of the range of the surgery?
For those that worry about the 50 year outcome ... these doctors are not working from a clean slate. The "injury" from the laser is not that different from other types of injury that you may get on your eye. So they have a basis to know what the longer term problems will be.
Originally posted by progmac
i would try the grape thing, but i think my vision is to bad. according to my eye dr. it is 20 / 800 (i can see at 20 ft what most people can see at 800 feet)
pretty bad. i wonder if it is out of the range of the surgery?
Yeah, that's me, although my vision is a little better, probably 20/350. My husband keeps pushing for me to try eye exercises, but its really hard to do something you don't believe in. My whole family wears glasses and I'm fairly convinced its genetic. But I would LOVE for someone to give me solid evidence that I am wrong. If eye exercises and diet would really bring my vision back to something resembling 20/20 (which I haven't had since I was about 12), I would do it.