Have any of you had laser vision correction?

[Jacques Augustowski]

so if I was born at the base of K2 and my operation was made at a high altitude, my eyes would colapse in its sockets once I came down to sea level? :-}}

Jacques

"one other thing ... if you climb or ski or plan to spend any time at high altitude, be sure to bring this up with the doctor before deciding on the surgery. I know of more than one climber who has had disasterous results--the procedure weakens the eye against pressure, so at altitude the eye gradually enlarges, developing increasingly severe miopia day after day. people at very high altitudes can come close to blindness (they get better gradually when they go back down)...."

[Donald Qualls]

If you're looking for distance vision correction, rather than a nonexistent solution to age-related loss of accommodation, I'd suggest considering the new Paragon lenses. These are rigid gas permeable contact lenses that are worn only during sleep -- but instead of being closely fitted to the existing shape of the cornea, they are designed to gradually reshape the cornea to match that of the lens and in the process correct vision. The initial cost is comparable with top quality LASIK surgery (though higher than the cut-rate LASIK chop-shops), and the process is non-invasive, gradual (over a course of up to two weeks for full effect that lasts up to 24 hours, as I recall), and completely reversible -- simply stop sleeping with the lenses in and your eyes will return to their previous condition in a matter of a few weeks.

The bad news is that most health plans don't yet cover Paragon lenses, and the lenses themselves, like any contact lenses, will require replacement every 2-4 years, as well as daily cleaning, disinfection, etc. -- ongoing costs appear comparable to wearing toric contact lenses (astigmatism correcting) or bifocal contacts. Of course, if you're not a good candidate for contact lenses, Paragon lenses aren't going to work for you (but if you're not a good contact lens candidate, you might not be a good LASIK candidate, either). The good news is, the results are reportedly similar to the best from LASIK, with a lower rate of much less severe complications (comparable level of problems to conventional rigid gas permeable contact lenses or extended wear soft lenses).

[Scott Bacon]

Annie, I had LASIK done about 3.5 years ago and my results are outstanding - 20/15 in my left eye (dominant) and 20/20 in my right. I started out with mild myopia and severe astigmatism. I have a very mild side effect of dry eyes, so I use an over the counter moisturizing drop a couple times a week. This problem disappears when I'm in more humid climates (Colorado is VERY DRY). I have absolutely no problems with night vision. And I certainly don't have problems with altitude (although maybe 13K - 14K ft. is not high enough) - I live at 5300 ft. I notice no difference in percieving contrast (this would have been obvious right after the surgery). I feel that I see better than I did with glasses, especially when photographing - no fogging, fingerprint smudges, rain drops or seeing around the lens when my head is tilted at odd angles. I don't have presbyopia, yet. But I fully understand that could/will be in my near future (I'm 37).

I would have the surgery done again in a heartbeat. It is one of the nicest things I've ever done for myself. But as others have said, my good experience doesn't mean that LASIK right for YOU. Carefully select a respected surgeon who specializes in the procedure, consult with them and have them evaluate your situation and lay out the risks, then decide.

[John Z.]

Actually, the statement above about problems with altitude is not correct; LASIK does not vary or fluctuate with altitude, or deep sea diving for that matter. What the person is most likely referring to is someone who had RK (radial keratotomy), which is an older procedure involving relaxing incisions on the cornea. This tends to fluctuates highly, and people that are climbers have had many problems climbing at high altitude--including Everest (Beck Wethers on the tragic climb of Everest many years ago where many people died in the storm--he survived though) . Often times people do not know the difference between RK and LASIK. LASIK has pretty much replaced RK and made it obsolete for many years now.

[John Kasaian]

Interesting observations regarding altitude. There is a local Air Guard base and back in the RK era a few pilots had RK. These guys fly F-15s and so far no problems have been noted that I'm aware of. I don't know what the current Air Force doctrine is, but I understand( well, I know from personal experience) that the FAA dosen't have a problem with RK.

[paulr]

I specifically said that I didn't know which procedure led to the problems at altitude. There's more than one type of laser surgery being done today, so as I suggested, if you're going up high (or diving down low, for that matter) make sure you mention it to the doctory.

[Larry Gebhardt]

I had Lasik done about a year ago. My vision is about 20/15 in one eye and 20/20 in the other. During the day everything is crisp and I see better than I ever have. At night I have had some problems with halos around bright lights (street lamps and car headlights). This is going away now, but it was really bad for a few months, so bad that I tried not to drive at night). I was within all the criteria for having the surgery, but my pupil size was towards the large side of the limits. This tends to be what causes the halo problem. I tend to think they need to tighten this requirment down a bit as I would be very upset if my problem was worse.