Hey guys.. I am having Lasik done in a few weeks and wanted to know from those who have had it, what is your experience post op. Did it correct your vision the same or better than with your glasses? Did you have any complications and how does it affect your riding? I have been reading that some people develop dry eyes and even with a full face helmet, the small amount of air coming in would worsen it if I end up with dry eyes post op. I am just concerned and wanted to hear your opinions.
To be more specific, I will be having PRK instead of Lasik, which is a safer procedure since there is no need for a "flap" that could create problems in the future. Anyways, i hope we have a bunch of Lasik done among us.. please share your experience if you could. [thumbsup]
Quote from: Cucciolo on November 20, 2008, 09:10:37 PM
Hey guys.. I am having Lasik done in a few weeks and wanted to know from those who have had it, what is your experience post op. Did it correct your vision the same or better than with your glasses? Did you have any complications and how does it affect your riding? I have been reading that some people develop dry eyes and even with a full face helmet, the small amount of air coming in would worsen it if I end up with dry eyes post op. I am just concerned and wanted to hear your opinions.
To be more specific, I will be having PRK instead of Lasik, which is a safer procedure since there is no need for a "flap" that could create problems in the future. Anyways, i hope we have a bunch of Lasik done among us.. please share your experience if you could. [thumbsup]
Hi, I had Lasik done almost 2 years ago.
My vision correction is better than with my glasses (I am now at 20/15 and don't have peripheral vision issues). I have previously used glasses, hard contacts, and soft contacts (the worst!!).
Most people (including me) experience dry eye afterward, this can last for weeks-months. Dry eyes can make you see halos around nights at night. As your eyes heal up this improves and in my case has gone away. This is different than the potential night vision complication that you might hear mentioned.
I did not have any lasting complications, just the short-term dry eye.
My doctor had me avoid riding for two weeks post-op. I started riding after that and was fine (although I kept night riding to a minimum for a while). For those few months of dry eye, I carried around the single-use disposable re-wetting eye drops and used them all the time (every hour or two). Made a huge difference.
I found riding with the full-face helmet on no worse than walking around in the wind, and far better than driving with the window open, or riding a bicycle.
I don't know how PRK compares to Lasik as far as dry eye and healing.
Good luck! :)
I had PRK done in July, and my vision is now 20/20 in my left eye and 20/15 in my right. I didn't have any complications my left eye is just taking longer to lock in to the prescription. Don't be surprised if one of your eyes heals faster than the other. It hasn't effected my riding other than not having to take my glasses on and off with my helmet lol. My eyes do get dry quite a bit but no where near as bad as they used to get with soft contacts, and the wind while riding doesnt seem to make them any dryer. As far as night driving/riding it's not bad but I can notice a difference since before the surgery I think most of it is from the dryness.
Just make sure you use all your drops EXACTLY as your doctor tell you and you should be fine.
P.S. The first 2 days can be pretty painfull :-\
Hey Cucciolo, I haven't had Lasik or PRK, but I am an ophthalmologist, so maybe I can answer some of your questions. I don't do refractive surgery myself as I am a Retina specialist and am plenty busy with that, but my partner does them and I see some of his post-op patients. Dry Eye is less prevalent with PRK than with Lasik, but can still happen. The other thing to take into consideration is that visual recovery is slower with PRK. Everyone is different and you may heal faster, but I doubt you'll be seeing 20/20 right after surgery like many Lasik pts do, so you may not feel up to riding for that period of time (unless your ok w/ riding w/ say 20/30 vision).
Ms. Inc's advice about keeping tears handy is good. It's less of a problem for PRK, but you can't always tell how dry your eyes are after these surgeries because the superficial corneal nerve endings can take a few months to regenerate. Therefore, if you're actually symptomatic w/ dryness, you may even consider goggles under your full- face helmet (prob won't be necessary though). Halo's at night should also be less of a problem for you.
Hope this helps a little and good luck with the procedure. I'm sure you'll be happy with the result (well over 90% of pts in my experience seem to be). I'll keep up with the thread, or if you or anyone else has any questions, shoot me a pm.
i had lasik done almost three years ago exactly. the first few weeks it was pretty trippy driving at night...halos etc. but after that it started to clear up, though not as fast as i would have liked. i would pretty much echo what msincredible said, buy lots and lots of drops. and get the silicone tear duct plugs put in if possible...those will really help keep your eyes from getting super-dry. overall, it's been great...wearing glasses while riding sucks; it's nice to be able to simply move my eyes to look at something, rather than my whole head.
Great topic, OP! I've always considered Lasik, too, so it's great feedback from those who ride. My friends, co-workers who had it done don't ride, so they couldn't answer questions re: riding with these types of corrective procedures.
My biggest concern is my eyes tend to dry easily already, hence the reason why I hated contacts. After a while, all the re-wetting solutions didn't help and I had to almost peel them off. Hard ones were worse.
Now I have to decide: termis, eco-safe fireplace, or Lasik...
I had Lasik done 7 years ago. It has been the best thing I ever did for myself, having spent years with glasses and years with soft contacts. I guess I'm fortunate as I never had any dry eye syndrome or pain. I used the eye drops daily but more due to the recommendation of my doctor rather than any dry eye discomfort. Once in a great while I have to use the drops at this point. Never had any halo issues at night either but to this day I'm sensitve to bright light and headlights/streetlights are especially noticable at dawn and dusk. I always thought that was a bit weird. My peripheral and night vision have diminished somewhat but I chalk that up to being 57 years old more than anything else.
I had wavefront lasik done 2 years ago. It is the best damn thing I ever did for myself. I am 2 years down the road and seeing 20/15. Halos at night were prevalent for the first 6 months and then started to diminish and by a year in were competely gone. Dry eye was def there for me. Do as your surgeon says, EXACTLY. Use the antibiotic drops etc, wet your eyes etc etc, get your follow exams done and you should be good to go.
The only affects that the surgery has had on my riding are:
1. I can see everything, what's on the road and sooner! [moto]
2. I can see well into dark areas from bright areas and tranisition easily
3. My eyes don't tire as easily
4. NO MORE GLASSES TO FOG UP when riding
5. I could go on for days... [laugh]
I had Lasik last January. I then had my left eye enhanced in June. I'm now at -0.25 in both eyes which is really great. I'm extremely happy with the results. [thumbsup] I was between -2 and -3 in both eyes originally.
I waited about 1 1/2 weeks between the surgery and any riding...just because of the wind in the helmet. I did a track day 2 weeks after the enhancement and all was well. I had way more problems with contact moving around than I've had with the Lasik.
Just use your drops like your instructed. Then use the artificial tears as much as possible so the flap heals correctly. I still use drops 2-3 times per day in my right eye, and 3-4 in my left. Computer work really dries my eyes out (did before the LASIK as well). My left eye still gets dry because of the enhancement, but that should go away within the next 6 months. Apparently folding the flap back to do an enhancement can slow the healing process a bit compared to the initial surgery.
I've had Lasik surgery done...about 5+ years ago. To date, I don't have problems. Vision was approximately 20/325 in each eye and had previously used contacts. Vision was corrected to approximately 20/25 in each eye. Never had the halo effect or the dry eyes. Next morning vision was great. No more contacts. Didn't have a cycle at the time, but have two now and don't experience any problems during the day or night.
I had lasik done 8 years ago. the best money spent evaaarrr.
The only regret I had was not getting them done earlier.
Jake
Wow!! Thank you all for posting!! I am really happy to read such positive outcomes !! Makes me feel better... as I've been reading a Lasik forum that makes me worry since all they post is complications.
swampduc: Thanks for the medical insight. I have done my research and found that PRK will be the safest way to get this done even though it takes longer to heal. It sucks that PRK may take months to get the results I would get in a couple of days with a flap (lasik) procedure. I am doing this with Dr. Wang here in Nashville. He is the doctor of doctors, harvard graduate and even has a Phd in laser Physics. Have you heard about him? I am just curious to know if he is that good and maybe people like you in the field may have heard about him. He is using the Visx Star 4 and custon wave will be done as well! This is supposed to be cutting edge lasers and procedure. I will update this thread after I get it done as well!!! Thanks again!! can't wait to ride without my glasses or contacts
Haven't heard of him Cucciolo but I'll ask around - I have a close friend who's a cornea specialist in Lexington KY so I'm sure who knows who the guy is. Best of luck, and I'm sure you'll do great. Anything I can do, let me know.
Cucciolo, is it Ming Wang? If so, he's supposed to be pretty good, pretty cutting edge.
Yes.. Dr. Ming Wang. I am glad to get confirmation on this.!! :) Thanks a lot !!!
I had Lasik in 1999. I was 20/400 or worse with bad astigmatism....basically I couldn't see anything w/o glasses or contacts. I'm now 20/10 in each eye. I hated wearing glasses and/or contacts and loved the result. At night I get crowns on bright lights and halo's on indoor lighting. Its pretty much the same as to wearing soft contacts, so I certainly can't complain. I'd do it over again in a heartbeat.
Had Lasik done about 8 years ago.
Like many others, I wish I'd done it sooner.
I did have some issues with dry eyes, and used wetting drops for a couple of months. Really not much different then when I was wearing contacts.
Had some halo issues at night, and also noticed that my eyes seemed a little more sensitive to bright lights.
Knowing what I know, and what I went through I'd do it all again tomorrow if I had to.
That being said, I wasn't riding at the time I had Lasik performed, but I did race Mt bikes, and didn't have any problems other than keeping drops handy.
Good luck!
My doctor suggested I take NKO (neptune krill oil) fish oil pills. Despite the smell, they help with dry eyes and also reduce inflammation. I ordered them from here: http://www.mercola.com/
I still suffer from dry eyes, but apparently I had severely dry eyes before my LASIK. My right eye is great, but my left is still IZ_. If things don't improve, I'll be going back for a tune-up.
Quote from: sugarcrook on November 24, 2008, 08:25:24 PM
My doctor suggested I take NKO (neptune krill oil) fish oil pills. Despite the smell, they help with dry eyes and also reduce inflammation. I ordered them from here: http://www.mercola.com/
I still suffer from dry eyes, but apparently I had severely dry eyes before my LASIK. My right eye is great, but my left is still IZ_. If things don't improve, I'll be going back for a tune-up.
Sorry to hear.. when did you have it done and what procedure? Did the doctor recommend an enhancement for the left eye? i hope you get 20/20 soon [thumbsup]
I have a buddy who is a regional sales manager for Bausch & Lomb's lasik machines. He wears glasses and refuses to get lasik. Also, FDA is (was?) in the process of doing a more in depth survey on post-op patients' satisfaction. Article suggests current dis-satisfaction rate is understated. If I remember correctly, industry literature suggests ~1% dissatisfaction whereas it could be closer to 5~10%. I won't try to bias this post so do your own google search for FDA and lasik to reach your own conclusion.
Quote from: Cucciolo on November 24, 2008, 08:56:50 PM
Sorry to hear.. when did you have it done and what procedure? Did the doctor recommend an enhancement for the left eye? i hope you get 20/20 soon [thumbsup]
I had LASIK done in May 2008. I looked into an enhancement but I wasn't a good candidate. The left eye is pretty good, just not as crisp as I would like.
Quote from: CDawg on November 25, 2008, 07:31:29 AM
I have a buddy who is a regional sales manager for Bausch & Lomb's lasik machines. He wears glasses and refuses to get lasik. Also, FDA is (was?) in the process of doing a more in depth survey on post-op patients' satisfaction. Article suggests current dis-satisfaction rate is understated. If I remember correctly, industry literature suggests ~1% dissatisfaction whereas it could be closer to 5~10%. I won't try to bias this post so do your own google search for FDA and lasik to reach your own conclusion.
I looked into this as well. From what I could tell, a lot of the dissatisfaction is from people that had the procedure several years ago, before the technology fully matured. I guess it's the early adopter curse.
Quote from: CDawg on November 25, 2008, 07:31:29 AM
I have a buddy who is a regional sales manager for Bausch & Lomb's lasik machines. He wears glasses and refuses to get lasik. Also, FDA is (was?) in the process of doing a more in depth survey on post-op patients' satisfaction. Article suggests current dis-satisfaction rate is understated. If I remember correctly, industry literature suggests ~1% dissatisfaction whereas it could be closer to 5~10%. I won't try to bias this post so do your own google search for FDA and lasik to reach your own conclusion.
I would bet a lot of disatisfaction is from 2 types of people:
1) The ones that purchased the $450/eye special. I can't believe it when people see a billboard for something like eye surgery...and think saving a few $$ is a good idea. Screw that...do your research, talk to your eye doctor, and go to the best place possible. Who cares what it costs...it your eyesight!
2) Perfectionists. Everyone gettting LASIK or PRK needs to understand you probably won't see 100% perfectly when you're done. You might...but there are no guarantees. You should be able to function without contacts/glasses, but your vision will still probably be a little off. This is more true the worse your eyesight is pre-surgery. This was stressed to me by my eye doctor, as well as the LASIK doctor. My eye doctor was adamant than if I couldn't come to terms with this concept, then I should just continue to wear contacts. I'm at -0.25 in both eyes now, and that is fine with me. Trying to correct that to zero is impractical, and could actually result in me being far-sighted...which would absolutely suck.
Quote from: Triple J on November 25, 2008, 09:06:26 AM
I would bet a lot of disatisfaction is from 2 types of people:
1) The ones that purchased the $450/eye special. I can't believe it when people see a billboard for something like eye surgery...and think saving a few $$ is a good idea. Screw that...do your research, talk to your eye doctor, and go to the best place possible. Who cares what it costs...it your eyesight!
2) Perfectionists. Everyone gettting LASIK or PRK needs to understand you probably won't see 100% perfectly when you're done. You might...but there are no guarantees. You should be able to function without contacts/glasses, but your vision will still probably be a little off. This is more true the worse your eyesight is pre-surgery. This was stressed to me by my eye doctor, as well as the LASIK doctor. My eye doctor was adamant than if I couldn't come to terms with this concept, then I should just continue to wear contacts. I'm at -0.25 in both eyes now, and that is fine with me. Trying to correct that to zero is impractical, and could actually result in me being far-sighted...which would absolutely suck.
Agreed on point 2. The most common cause for dissatisfaction that I see is unrealistic expectations. If you see absolutely perfectly with your glasses and only perfection will do, you should take that into account before you do anything. I personally haven't had this done because I'm 20/15 with contacts and my ability to do microsurgery is dependent on having perfect vision- if I was one of the very very few that couldn't see 20/20 with correction afterwards, my career would be over. This is primarily a concern for ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, and pilots, and I know several pilots who have had Lasik.
I ended up having the Wavefront bladless LASIK. It has been 6 days and I am really surprised and pleased with the results so far, although it is too early to say I'm on the clear free from post op complications. I can see 20/25 for now, but the doc said that It should improve with healing. To me, this is already fine! I can see just as sharp as when I was wearing my glasses. The bad part is that I am experiencing a little bit of dry eye mostly on my right eye. I had dry eyes before the surgery as well, so this was expected. The doctor decided to put the silicone plugs on both eyes and on both eye lids (top and bottom) before the surgery ..so my tears have no drainage!! between my natural tears and all the prescription drops I have to use every other hour, my eyes are constantly wet.. like I am crying all the time! Doc said that is better for healing vs having dry eyes. I also have the halos at night and during the day, but only for certain types of lights.. in example a certain type of car headlight. My wife had it 2 days after me and she has the halos as well and no dry eyes! I am looking forward to a complete recovery with no complications. I've looked into the FDA public hearings held in April of 2008 and Lasik has been devastating for some. I hope me and my wife are the lucky ones! I will update the post with my progress. This will be a good reference for anyone thinking about having LASIK.
This is one of the best threads I have read through, thanks Cucciolo! Good luck on recovery and keep the updates coming!
Congrats, Cucciolo, glad it's going well. Be patient, you've got lots of healing left to do. It'll get better, and you have to wait at least to that 3-4 month mark before you know what you have finally.