Laser Eye Surgery

[clintj]

I had PRK (similar to LASIK, but the cornea is dealt with a different way) about ten years ago. My distance vision went from worse than 20/200 to 20/10, but I am now maybe a year or two from needing reading glasses for close detail work like soldering. They did warn me ahead of time, but it's been worth it. The eye just loses flexibility over time is what I was told.

[Riker36]

Originally Posted by clintj

I had PRK (similar to LASIK, but the cornea is dealt with a different way) about ten years ago. My distance vision went from worse than 20/200 to 20/10, but I am now maybe a year or two from needing reading glasses for close detail work like soldering. They did warn me ahead of time, but it's been worth it. The eye just loses flexibility over time is what I was told.

PRK was really the beginning of vision correction surgery. I wonder if they still offer that or not.

[cpmusic]

Originally Posted by clintj

I had PRK (similar to LASIK, but the cornea is dealt with a different way) about ten years ago. My distance vision went from worse than 20/200 to 20/10, but I am now maybe a year or two from needing reading glasses for close detail work like soldering. They did warn me ahead of time, but it's been worth it. The eye just loses flexibility over time is what I was told.

To be specific, it's the lens that loses flexibility. As I understand it, to see clearly close up, the lens has to be compressed from the outer edge. As the lens ages it becomes stiffer, making the muscles work harder, and eventually they're no longer up to the task. This is true for all everyone, regardless of where they're coming from vision-wise.

I'm nearsighted and have needed glasses most of my life, but I was able to read without them for a long time. That ability started to fade when I was in my 40s and now I need glasses for virtually all waking tasks. I have progressives for general use, but they're a pain in the butt for the computer, so I've had separate computer glasses. For a long time those glasses were single vision, but now I need bifocals because the difference between the screen and desktop distances are great enough to require different prescriptions.

[cpmusic]

Originally Posted by Riker36

PRK was really the beginning of vision correction surgery. I wonder if they still offer that or not.

Radial keratotomy (RK) was the first, as I recall. That was the procedure which involved making radial incisions in the cornea to reshape it. PRK and LASIK came later. I don't know if RK is still done, but a few people I met who had it complained that light had a way of scattering or blooming as a result.

[Edmond]

Originally Posted by Bluepoet

After spending most of my life reaching for glasses, breaking them, and having them gouge into my nose and ears, I can't express how awesome it is to wake up in the morning and just see...

That's the situation I'm in. I'm 35 and have been wearing glasses since I was 10. I'm just plain and tired of wearing glasses and being in the military, wearing the goggles with a prescription is even tougher as I'm outdoors a lot and have to switch between the clear lenses and the shaded lenses.

Originally Posted by Riker36

Great testimonial for lasik. When I had mine done, some people accused me of getting it done just because I didn't like the way I looked in glasses. That had absolutely nothing to do with it. It is such a great lifestyle improvement that I don't know why anyone would hesitate to have it done.

I'm looking for the lifestyle improvement as well. Fashion was never my strong suit and never will be.

After I get home from deployment, I'm going to apply to get PRK done from the Army. The Army mostly offers PRK I think due to their fear of the flap becoming separated/undone from the LASIK method during airborne operations. I think that's what it is but I'm not sure.

I'll just have to get the tests done to see that my eyes will take to PRK. Best of all, it's 0 cost to me.

[clintj]

Originally Posted by Edmond

That's the situation I'm in. I'm 35 and have been wearing glasses since I was 10. I'm just plain and tired of wearing glasses and being in the military, wearing the goggles with a prescription is even tougher as I'm outdoors a lot and have to switch between the clear lenses and the shaded lenses.



I'm looking for the lifestyle improvement as well. Fashion was never my strong suit and never will be.

After I get home from deployment, I'm going to apply to get PRK done from the Army. The Army mostly offers PRK I think due to their fear of the flap becoming separated/undone from the LASIK method during airborne operations. I think that's what it is but I'm not sure.

I'll just have to get the tests done to see that my eyes will take to PRK. Best of all, it's 0 cost to me.

That's how I got mine done (Navy in my case). You're right about them not wanting the risk of the flap detaching, especially when deployed. The only downside of PRK in our cases is the recovery process. The skin has to regrow over the surgery site, and during the first few months after surgery your vision will wander on almost a daily basis - clear one day, fuzzy the next. Absolutely, at all cost, avoid bright light the first week as well.

[Edmond]

Originally Posted by clintj

That's how I got mine done (Navy in my case). You're right about them not wanting the risk of the flap detaching, especially when deployed. The only downside of PRK in our cases is the recovery process. The skin has to regrow over the surgery site, and during the first few months after surgery your vision will wander on almost a daily basis - clear one day, fuzzy the next. Absolutely, at all cost, avoid bright light the first week as well.

One thing I remember reading was that the recovery process for PRK was lengthy and ghosting is quite common at night.

I do know that we're granted 10 days of convalescent leave immediately after surgery and a 1 year Dr. note stating we are allowed to wear sunglasses at all formations (outdoor gatherings for you civilians).

One of my buddies got it a few years ago and just loves it. Of course in 5 years times in service he has only had maybe 5-7 months of deployment time so he's had that luxury.

[valleyguy]

Originally Posted by clintj

I am now maybe a year or two from needing reading glasses for close detail work like soldering. They did warn me ahead of time, but it's been worth it. The eye just loses flexibility over time is what I was told.

20 years ago I started eye exercises for this very reason, spend 5 to 10 minutes every morning. I'm 67 and don't use glasses, except for occasional reading glasses (1.5) for detail work.

Astigmatism is where the eyeball loses its roundness, often due to tense muscles around the eye. Eye exercises are good for this. I know I can feel where the muscles are the most tense as I roll my eyeballs around.