Laser eye surgery or...?

sly_karma

sly_karma

Crew Member
Like most 50-somethings, I now need reading glasses. I have worn prescription glasses for myopia since childhood but the time is coming when I can no longer fake it by slipping my glasses off for reading. I really don't like the thought of bifocals. I have contact lenses for sports and wear readers when the contacts are in, so I started to think of laser surgery. I'd still need the readers of course, but no more all-day glasses. My prescription has been stable for more than a decade but it's quite strong, -9.50 (L), -7.75 (R).

My question is where to go for unbiased advice? My optometrist would rather I keep buying new frames and lenses every few years, and the laser guys will of course sell, sell, sell on the surgery. Are there any qualified professionals out there that don't have skin in the game? I'd like to hear from any posters who've had laser surgery in later life, especially any as near-sighted as I am.

Thanks in advance,

Sly
 
Hey Sly,

Think it is hands down the best money I ever spent on my daughter she wore glasses from about 5 had svery bad eyesight, got her laser surgery when she graduated college +3 years ago and she hasn't wore glasses since.
My mother also did the surgery a few years ago and she wore glasses for 60 years and doesn't use them, maybe for reading but not sure.
 
I had it done 20 years ago. My eyes were -6.5 and -7 - the issue is the thickness of your cornea and the overall shape of your lens. Each person is different so only way to know for sure is getting an assessment done.
I could count pine needles on the top of the mountain for 15 years - only side effect was some 'halo' looking at lights at night. That may be the biggest drawback with your strength of presc. By the time they burn off enuf cornea ( dia of treated area ) it may not exceed the dia of your iris when fully dilated at night - then you get a halo around edges of lights n bright things at night.
eg to flatten -9.5 they may need to laser an area only 7mm in dia - but your iris dilates to 8mm at night. Thatr leaves .5mm donut ring of uncorrected cornea intact so your field of sharp focus is not all the way to edges of your vision - make sense?

I asked to get mine redone as the last 5 years is not so crisp - I dont have enuf cornea left to take the chance. So that is your other big risk
IF you dont get the results you want the first try - you may not have enuf thickness for another treatment.
Lastly..if you need readers now? you WILL REALLY NEED THEM after laser ! think magnifiying glasses
good luck if you go for it
 
first off you should go to an actual eye doctor, not an optomitrist, to make sue you are a good candidate for the laser surgery.
I am 61 and had the laser eye done on the morning of 9/11 just before it happened, sept. 11/2001. they told me I would need readers which I was fine with but found I didn't really need them unless the print was very small for the first few years, then I started using the 1.5 readers and as of the past few months am using the 1.75 more often (newspapers etc) but am still fine with the 1.5's.

I had my laser eye surgery done at the lasik place on georgia st.(1281) by dr. Hugo Sutton, I don't think he is still there. I was more than thrilled with the results, best thing I ever did for myself, and my eyes are still very good today. I skiied and fished alot (guiding in vancouver and haida gwaii) so glasses had been a real pita previous to the surgery. they give you dark glasses to wear for a day after the surgery and tell you not to watch tv, lol, it was 9/11, how I not watch tv!!! anyhow it was unbelievable for me, I felt like i was walking around in a high def movie theater when outside, everything was so vivid it was an amazing feeling, so yes I am a huge fan of the laser eye, but then i was also a good candidate as I was near sighted. they have also come a long way since then and do it for more eye problems than near sightedness. hope that helps you, feel free to message me if you want more info.

cheers Nicnat
 
Like everyone else, It was the best money I ever spent. I went to these people http://seewell.ca/ I found them to be a no BS outfit. Their lead surgeon has done some 60,000 procedures and is very conservative, they would not do Lasik, only PRK in my case. There is also a tissue sparing procedure that would have run an extra $350.00. They informed me straight up that I did not need it. Also they did not try to sell me any long term eye exam packages, just "we recommend you get an eye exam every three years or so."
 
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I had Intralase performed in 2010 by Dr Colin Nelson (Dr Kings previous partner) to correct my -6/-5.75 myopia. 5 years later I still see better than 20/15, money very well spent.
 
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