Not OP, but I'm a lifelong glasses wearer with a strong prescription who has started considering LASIK in recent years; have you had it done, and would you recommend it?
I've only heard from others but the people I've talked to all had some issues post-op which they seemed to rationalize and claimed that it was a net improvement, but I've ruled it out as something I'll ever have done.
It would be really nice to have 20:20 vision without contacts or glasses but some of the stuff I've heard (extreme dry eye feeling, distortions, glare/dazzling at night) just don't sound worth it.
It changed my relationship with the world. Dependency is the name of the game – it all depends how dependent you are on glasses.
If you lost your glasses, would you be able to walk around? I was -6.5 and 3.5 astigmatism and I was stuck if I lost my glasses. Had to carry contact lens boxes and solution with me. Post-LASIK I'm something like +0.5.
I get halos if I look directly at overhead street lights at night, that's about it. It's underwhelming as a side-effect. I don't stare at street lights at night very often!
Yeah ideally it sounds nice. But I've never lost my glasses. I don't carry contact lens supplies with me, worst case with my RGP contacts I can clean them with hand soap or dish detergent and tap water in a pinch.
How do you do with oncoming headlights while driving at night?
So I did ICL (and I recommend it over LASIK), ICL gives thin distinct halos at night around bright lights. I saw them for 2 first weeks only, then I stopped seeing them - brain filtered them out. Now I only see halos in very unusual lighting situations, or if I specifically look for them for fun (and it takes some effort).
I had it done 2 years ago and started taking it for granted about 4 days after the operation. I have perfect sight with no complaints and almost never think about it.
Got mine done 8 years ago with around -3 lenses, but also with some notable astigmatism (forgot the number). Couldn’t have been happier.
Yes, sometimes I get dry eyes, but it is such a minor thing that I don’t even notice it, and it can be alleviated entirely by just using eyedrops twice a day. If I could go back in time and reconsider my decision, I would still go with it 10 times out of 10, not even a question.
I had LASIK in 2012 (wanted to, but couldn't afford it ten years previously). It was amazing. Dry eyes persisted for about a year, which is longer than most people say. Halos? Yeah, a bit, I guess, but not enough to be bothersome. I got a full decade of 20:20 vision. About a year ago (I'm in my 40s) I started to need distance-vision glasses for driving and sports, but a mild prescription and I don't bother with them around the house. I'm still grateful I did it.
I had Lasik in 2007. I had a medium prescription (-3.5 diopters.) Definitely glad I had it, although I do have the tradeoffs of dry eyes (manageable with eyedrops) and some visual artifacts at night (I can drive fine, though wondering if it will eventually be problematic.) The upside of never wearing or thinking about glasses is tremendous, though.
I had it done last year and it's been phenomenal. Just had my annual eye exam and my vision is 20/20, near vision is great and eye health is great. Highly recommend it.
Expect some discomfort afterwards for a day or two. Then expect painfully dry eyes in the morning for a month or three and a bit of light sensitivity. After that it's all roses
