Lasik Surgery - Did it help your pool game

[MinoInADixeCup]

I would never consider Lasik in my current situation. The risks are too great IMO. I can get to about 20/20 or 20/25 with contacts, which is enough to play reasonably well and experience a normal daily life.

The long-term effects of Lasik are unknown. In the short term, there are reports of between 3% and 5% of Lasik patients experiencing *unresolved* vision complaints six months following surgery. These include halos, starbursts, night blindness, excessive dry eye, etc. The true rate could be higher. Also, there's no going back if the surgery doesn't work out.

As for me, my vision is fine with contacts, and there's no chance in hell I would roll the dice for a 1/20 chance of permanent vision loss just to save the inconvenience of wearing contacts. In fact, there are only two situations in which I'd recommend a surgical procedure like this:

1) if the person's livelihood depends on perfect vision, such as a *professional* pool player or other professional athlete, or
2) if the person has such difficulty seeing that the risk of permanent vision damage is outweighed by the benefit of greatly improved vision.

Going from 20/25 to 20/15, for me, is entirely not worth the risk.


Select Lasik complication reports:

http://home.arcor.de/pinnipedii/poppayette.pdf
http://www.usaeyes.org/lasik/faq/lasik-complications.htm

I couldn't agree more.

I've worn contacts for about 20 years now. I can see just fine and play pool just fine. I have stumbled through the door at 2am, so hammered I had to crawl up the stairs to keep from falling, and still managed to get my contacts out and into the little dish. Anything that I can accomplish while being that wasted is not enough of an inconvenience to risk my vision to avoid.

Pool is something that I love to do, but I don't have the talent, attitude, or mental toughness to make a living at it as a pro or gambler. So, even if the surgery was guaranteed to improve my game, I still wouldn't do it. Others of course, might make different decisions or be in different circumstances.

 

[LeagueShirts]

I had it done a few years ago. 20/15 now, I can slice a ball with 3mm showing, heh. No problems, took a nap after the procedure and watched TV that night for the first time in 25yrs w/o glasses.

 

[cigardave]

I had lasik surgery back in 1999 when I was 50 y/o... both eyes for $950... done in Vancouver, BC. I went from 20/400 and 20/200 with bad astigmatism and wearing bifocals, to 20/20.

My reading vision got worse but I knew that up front. I now wear cheaters for computer work and reading... no bigee.

Would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[OneArmed]

I'm sorry to hear that, although I don't think your outcome is as rare as people make it out to be.

May I ask - how was your vision with glasses before surgery? Is it better with glasses now, or better with glasses prior to surgery?

my vision with glasses was better before the surgery, however, the lenses aren't as thick. I still have a few little "ghost" images when looking at a light source after the surgery, but it is greatly minimized with the glasses.

I was 26 when I got it done (4 years ago), so maybe I should have waited longer.

My father is extremely happy with his (got his 5 years ago), but he must wear reading glasses.

 

[RBLilly]

BE AWARE HOWEVER THAT SOME SURGEONS ONLY WORK ON PERFECT CANDIDATES AND HAVE NEAR PERFECT RECORDS ACCORDINGLY.

WEAN YOURSELF OF EYE DROPS!: THIS IS PURE BS. YOU HAD BETTER USE THE TEARS AS LONG AS THE DOCTOR RECOMMENDS TO. LATELY RESEARCH HAS BEEN SHOWING THAT HAVING DRY EYES AFTER SURGERY IS STARTING TO SHOW UP MORE NOW. DR. WHITTEN, WHO OPERATED ON TIGER WOODS AND WHO IS ONE OF THE PREMIER SURGEONS IN THE US, SAYS THESE PEOPLE SHOULD USE THERA-TEARS CAPSULES AND EYE DROPS TO COMBAT THE DRYNESS. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO RECENTLY GOT SURGERY DONE FROM WHITTEN AND THIS IS WHAT HE HAS TO DO. PERSONALLY, I LIKE THE CAPSULES BECAUSE THEY ARE LOADED WITH OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS AND THIS IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEART, AND BETTER THAN ANY EYE DROPS COULD EVER BE.

I said use them as long as the Dr. recomends but to wean yourself off of them in order to allow your eyes to naturally produce tears. A good eye vitamin will do better than trying to use natural tears all the time!