Shoutbox

I've always wondered whether a lasik operation is safe or risky. I've searched the net and obviously there are those who are in favour of it and others who are against it. What are its advantages? What are its bad effects? Can it lead to blindness by any chance? I am eager to know everything about it, any opinion or information is highly appreciated. Thanks!


Also, has anyone actually done it?

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Originally posted by Moh
What are its advantages

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you can see again

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Originally posted by Moh
What are its bad effects

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they cut off your cornea and they shine a laser into your eye

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Originally posted by Moh
Can it lead to blindness by any chance?

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no, it is impossible for eye surgery to cause blindness.

Thanks ShawnZ.

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Originally posted by ShawnZ

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Originally posted by Moh
What are its advantages

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you can see again

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They say it makes your vision perfect again, yeah.

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Originally posted by ShawnZ

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Originally posted by Moh
What are its bad effects

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they cut off your cornea and they shine a laser into your eye

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No, I mean bad effects on the long run. Complications you know. Also, results of a non successful operation.

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Originally posted by ShawnZ

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Originally posted by Moh
Can it lead to blindness by any chance?

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no, it is impossible for eye surgery to cause blindness.

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Glad to know, I wonder what the worst thing you can get out of it is then.

My Aunt had Laser Eye Surgery and after 2 years of perfect vision her sight went steadily worse until it was worse than before the surgery. She decided to just stick with glasses, and could've saved a lot of money in the long run!

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Originally posted by methos
My Aunt had Laser Eye Surgery and after 2 years of perfect vision her sight went steadily worse until it was worse than before the surgery. She decided to just stick with glasses, and could've saved a lot of money in the long run!

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Oh that sucks, exactly what I was afraid of. Thanks methos!

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I've always wondered whether a lasik operation is safe or risky. I've searched the net and obviously there are those who are in favour of it and others who are against it. What are its advantages?

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It's relatively safe and the advantage, obviously, is that you don't need to wear glasses or contacts after it.

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What are its bad effects? Can it lead to blindness by any chance?

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The only way it can lead to blindness is if the procedure is screwed up very badly and even then you would only lose one eye.  It is always done one eye at a time and you have to have correctable vision in both to be eligible.

The perfect outcome won't have any downsides.  With less than perfect outcome it could correct your near-sightedness, but introduce halos, glare and similar issues.  Some people lose the correction after several years (as methos mentioned) and either end up with glasses again or need to have it re-done.

You asked for opinions.  I am not interested in the surgery at all, because contact lenses work very well for me.  Acuvue now has two-week disposables that are approved for and safe to wear overnight.  I don't bother with taking them out for shower either (in theory you are supposed to) and have had zero problems in 5 years.  If you are now stuck with glasses, I would highly recommend trying contacts before you even think about surgery.

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Originally posted by Adeptus
It's relatively safe and the advantage, obviously, is that you don't need to wear glasses or contacts after it.

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Depending on the degree of eyesight loss. My girlfriend would have to have around 6 operations on each eye (£2400 roughly) and still need to wear glasses for the rest of her life

At the end of the day it's a personal choice.  It's not something I need to consider, but my boss had it a few years ago and absolutely raves about it, said she's so glad she did it.

But for every success story you'll read there'll be ones where it didn't work out.  Maybe try to find out the success rates of the particular surgeon who'd be doing the operation?  But even then there's no guarantees

Basically, they cut a slice of your cornea, burn a precise area and then "glue" the cornea back. They won't sew anything.
After the surgery, you'll have to be careful, don't touch the eye, keep it clean, etc. After a few days it'll be OK.

If it's done correctly, and you have no complications, you'll have a perfect sight for long years.

However, your eye MUST be very stable. If your degree has changed recently (1 year or less), you're not recommended to do it, as it can change again, making the surgery useless. In average, you should wait until 23, 25 years to be sure your eyes are stable and won't change any more.

One of the major side-effects is that your eye might be very sensitive to light. So you might need sun glasses almost every time you go outside, or driving, etc. It's "mandatory" right after the procedure, but some people still need them after a long time, some just get used to them...

Just get contacts