Thinking of having LASIK?

also this gives much food for thought:

The nerves supplying the cornea derive from the ciliary nerves, the end-branches of the ophthalmic division of the fifth cranial nerve. The nerves enter the cornea in the middle and anterior stromal layers, and move in a radial fashion toward the center of the cornea. About a millimeter or so into the cornea, the nerves lose the myelin sheaths, meaning that the corneal nerves are fairly easy to observe within this first millimeter. After that, they become extremely hard to observe without high magnification, yet another modification necessary to keep the cornea as a highly transparent section. As they run into the center of the cornea, the nerves divide dichotomously. In Bowman’s membrane, deep within the cornea, nerve fibrils form a plexus just beneath the epithelium. The free nerve endings in the epithelium run between the epithelial cells, making the cornea one of the most sensitive tissues in the body. This sensitivity is a form of protection, guaranteeing that if anything should happen maliciously to the cornea, it will be noticed, even if it is relatively small

Also anyone considering surgery should study this page
http://www.lasikcomplications.com/ectasia.htm

Regarding cod liver oil after reading some more I dont think using undiluted fish oils or any lipids in the eyes is such a good idea. This lecture explains why.

http://visionsurgeryrehab.evecommunity.com/eve/forums/a/ga/ul/5601030541/dryeyes2draft.pdf
 
And then there is this study which contradicts all the findings mentioned above and actually claims that post lasik cornea is even stronger, to me it looks like good example of corruption in science

_http://www.eyeworld.org/article-the-blunt-truth-about-corneal-strength-after-refractive-surgery
 
On a related note to dry eye and LASIK, I have a condition generically called corneal erosion that started about 25 years ago when I was in my beginning 20's. It can be caused by severe dry eye or other issues and is extremely painful and I actually heard of others that were needing psychiatric treatment to help deal with the pain and possible suicide issues. There was no way with this condition that I could wear contacts so I always wore glasses. Various doctors had prescribed different eye ointments / gels that just didn't work until one had me try something called Muro 128 ointment and that was a miracle for the condition for me (it is a 5% salt solution believe it or not).

The problem had eased and mostly gone away (maybe 1 occurrence every few months) so I had totally forgotten about it when I decided to have LASIK about 10 years ago. I had the LASIK done by one of the best referred doctors (by patients and other doctors that said this guy was the go-to guy when LASIK with other surgeons went bad). BUT, I forgot to tell them about the condition (!!) and was in extreme pain afterwards for 2 weeks and couldn't open my eyes and had to try to keep my eyeballs still to reduce the pain. They had not thought to check for that specific condition and I had forgotten to tell them.

So, firstly if you are going to have LASIK, remember to tell them of every condition, especially if you have dry eye or corneal erosion!

Secondly, if you have corneal erosion or other eye pain from dry eye you may want to investigate Muro 128 or a similar formulation.
 
[quote author= HE]
Do you remember few years ago when Bausch & Lomb had a product for lenses which was linked to very dangerous fungal keratitis, I personally know one person who permanently lost vision in one eye due to it.
http://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/fungal-eye-infections.htm

Since then I wouldn't touch Bausch&Lomb products with barge pole. I am using Solo care by Ciba vision and I am quite happy with it.
[/quote]

Yes, I remember that. In fact, when the optical I work at was throwing all the Renu solution away, I took it home and used it without incident. :whistle: The solution itself was not contaminated, the problem stemmed from people re-using the solution. I spoke to the CIBA rep the other day about it, he also said it was indeed people not completely emptying the used solution out of their contact cases. The solution remaining in the case would then form a "biofilm" and allowed fungus to grow in the case, which then contaminated the contact lens.

I have always been fond of Bausch & Lomb products and continue to use them without problems. But like I said, most of the "no-rub" solutions are pretty much the same, so whatever works best for you, keep using. Just be sure to always use fresh solution, completely discard used solution and keep your contact case clean and replace it every 3-4 months.
 
Thanks Lilou for bringing this to our attention. The eye surgery was something that I was considering for the future and I was going to research the risks......will still keep researching....... Ive always thought it would be risky. Going to invest in some really nice frames for now.
 
Here in Australia, the results for LASIK and PRK are pretty good!! Mind you, I have only referred a handful of my patients in the last 5 years, and they were very happy with their results, with no complications. One of them had a fairly large epithelial defect which was obviously painful and took some time to heal. There is one surgeon I am wary of, and I will not refer my patients to him, so researching your ophthalmologist very carefully is a must!! The most successful cases I've found, are the young stabilised myopes (short-sightedness), usually around 18-30 years of age. The more complicated ones are those with presbyopia (losing the ability to accommodate and focus up close), and for patients in the mid 40s who are looking for this sort of thing, then a clear lens exchange (basically cataract surgery in cases where the lens is removed and replaced by an intra-ocular lens) is generally recommended.

FWIW
 
Laser Vision Correction

I was contemplating getting eye surgery to change my near-sighted vision to normal 20/20 vision. Fernando Aguirre (the guy who wrote "Surviving the Economic Collapse" after experiencing one first-hand in Argentina in 2001) recommended it since eye surgery and glasses will both become more prohibitively expensive after the devaluation of money, and guys with glasses are seen as weaker, easier targets. I don't really need glasses in day-to-day life... just when seeing long distance. I think being naturally sighted at long distances could be beneficial for noticing potential dangers in people or the environment.


A good friend of mine is an optometrist interning at the moment, and she recommended PRK eye surgery over LASIK, because in LASIK a flap is left in the cornea which can dislodge due to trauma. So that's definitely not something you want to have happen if you cannot count on medical or eye experts to be around or easily reachable. She also recommended paying more than just the $500 per eye since you DO get what you pay for in terms of expertise of the individual surgeons with regard to working with your individual eyes and their own unique needs. Cost isn't a terrible issue for me, since I will be at least partially covered by insurance.


The one other thing I was told the consider is that nearsightedness is less likely through age to require glasses for reading or using a computer. Those normally sighted tend to have their vision grow progressively far-sighted, requiring reading glasses once they break 40 or 50. I could be giving this up if I forgo my nearsightedness, and require glasses by the time I'm 50 anyway. :/


Have any of you gone through laser eye surgery? How have your experiences been?
 
Re: Laser Vision Correction

There is a thread here discussing the pros and cons of lasik. I personally, as an optometrist, was offered the surgery for free and still refused! Long term studies are lacking and I believe the thread talks about some finally coming out of Europe. So read up and make an informed choice.

added: PRK (where they chemically dissolve the cornea, instead of cutting it and making a flap, is a very painful procedure. The patient is quite miserable until the corneal cells regenerate. I've seen this procedure and my first thought was "hell no!"
 
Re: Laser Vision Correction


I consulted a few eye specialists in Poland and they advised against laser correction. I can't remember the details now, but they successfully discouraged me from doing it...
 
Re: Laser Vision Correction

Lilou said:
There is a thread here discussing the pros and cons of lasik.

Topics have been merged. Remember to do a search first before starting new threads.
 
Re: Laser Vision Correction

whitecoast said:
The one other thing I was told the consider is that nearsightedness is less likely through age to require glasses for reading or using a computer.

Don't count on that. I know a lot of folks that are near-sighted (me included) that required glasses for reading at around 40. That's why so many progressive glasses are being sold.

M.T.
 
Re: Laser Vision Correction

Heimdallr said:
Topics have been merged. Remember to do a search first before starting new threads.


Sorry, I didn't remember myself. :whistle:


Minas Tirith said:
whitecoast said:
The one other thing I was told the consider is that nearsightedness is less likely through age to require glasses for reading or using a computer.
Don't count on that. I know a lot of folks that are near-sighted (me included) that required glasses for reading at around 40. That's why so many progressive glasses are being sold.
M.T.

Thanks MT. Sounds like my concern isn't really valid in the end.

Lilou said:
There is a thread here discussing the pros and cons of lasik. I personally, as an optometrist, was offered the surgery for free and still refused! Long term studies are lacking and I believe the thread talks about some finally coming out of Europe. So read up and make an informed choice.

added: PRK (where they chemically dissolve the cornea, instead of cutting it and making a flap, is a very painful procedure. The patient is quite miserable until the corneal cells regenerate. I've seen this procedure and my first thought was "hell no!"

Yeah, I have personally been quite put off by the verb "ablation" being applied to any part of my body. It's totally subjective reacting on my part, but yeah. I will look up the long term studies done thus far. Thanks for your educated opinion. :flowers:
 
My brother had the surgery when he was 35, and now he's 43 he's told me he has never had any problems so far, he was trying to convince me to have it as well, but after reading this, i think I'll pass, I"ll keep using my glasses.
I just hope my brother doesn't have any serious problems in the future.... :(
 
I had PRK done (don't do LASIK IMO) and I'm very happy with the results, although I did it because my glasses gave me a headaches after a few hours and contacts gave me red eyes after an hour. I do miss wearing glasses but because I couldn't wear them much of the world was a partial blur. I had it done in 2014 by a very well recommended doctor in Vancouver and only rarely get slightly dry eyes when I'm dehydrated upon waking up. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it but if you are strongly considering it, no LASIK, then PRK is the only option I would advise assuming no abnormalities with your eyes.
 
I've been reading this thread with interest after getting frustrated with my poor vision and looking at what I can do about it. I guess it's not too bad in the grand scheme of things: I'm just short sighted so need glasses for reading and computer screen. Also long sited so need glasses for driving - although I haven't driven for about a year. The thoughts here have put me off laser surgery. Realising that there isn't an effective and risk free solution. I do remember a few yeas back printing off a Tibeten eye chart and experimented with some of the exercises for a short time. I don't recall it being effective but do believe that despite age we can improve vision. Found the references to Dr Bates at Mercola interesting and today bought online their vision program: _Improve Vision | Improve Eyesight Books. Will take 10 days to arrive and am looking forward to having a go and seeing if it works. (I did see that the old Bates book is available for free download on the interwebs but figured it would be a better option to buy the Mercola offering. Will see...:)
 
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