Lasik
supergreenman said:
From what I understand the lasik surgery isn't permanent and you can only have it done once. so It's quite possible for someone to get it done then have to go back to contacts.
OK here is the scoop for anyone that is not informed about Lasik. It all depends on how bad your eyes are, and how old you are. As far as males go your eyes tend to stop changing between the ages of 22-25. So if you do the surgery as a male before you hit 25, then there are good odds that you will have to go under the laser again for some touch ups down the road. Now us males in our 40's tend to have our eyes start going downhill. That is the time where a lot of guys find out they need reading glasses. There is nothing that is going to change this. So if you aren't cool with just 15-20 years of no glasses or contacts, then don't do Lasik.
I had glasses since I was in 3rd grade, and did contacts my 8-12 grade year. By the time I had Lasik done at 26 I was ready for approximately 20 years of no glasses or contacts.
Now if your in the 40+ range on age there is a good chance that when they do Lasik you will still need reading glasses. So be aware of that. My aunt is far sighted and needs to wear glasses to drive and stuff like that. She went in for Lasik and they told her she would just reverse it from being farsighted to near sighted. That means she would have needed glasses to read and work on the computer and such. So she said she would rather leave well enough alone.
Now most people don't know this, but there are people that can get Lasik with no problems and people that get Lasik and have all kinds of problems. Berkley/Caplin Laser Center in Texas has been the leader in Texas since about the early 80's when it comes to eye surgeries. My dad had RK done about 81, and didn't have anything else done until 2001. He had Lasik done in 2001. So I think 20 years was a good deal not to have glasses or contacts. My dad is around 50 and he has to wear reading glasses, but that is it.
If your perscription is too mild or too bad then lasik isn't for you, some lasik centers are just out for the money, so they will do anyone that wants lasik. I advise everyone to get the facts before they do it.
Another new proceedure that is going quite well is permanent contacts. This is for anyone that isn't a canadate for Lasik. They insert them under the clear layer in your eye, and if your perscription changes they can be changed. I think down the road this proceedure will win out as being cheaper, and quicker, and easier.
As far as not having Lasik more than once isn't true. A girl down here in Corpus has had it 4 times within the last 2 years. The main reason is this. They are only supposed to fix one thing at a time. If your near sited and have an astigmatisim then you can bet you will have to go under the laser twice. The government won't let them fix two problems at once. So this lady had to go in 2 times just to fix the near sited problem. Then she had to go in 2 times just to fix the astigmatisim.
Anyway, if anyone needs to know more let me know cause my dad has talked to some of the best doctors in the world on this kind of stuff and like I said he had RK done in the 80's. That is when they did it all with a knife and no laser. Then he just had Lasik in 2001 by one of the best doctors in the country. So good in fact that he just moved to Europe because they offered him more money to come over there and do eye surgery.
My dad started out about 20/1000 or worse, and as far as I know he is still 20/40 right now.
I started out about 20/400 and they took me down to 20/10. Only about 15% of the population has better than 20/20, and the day I had my surgery they got 3 different people fixed to better than 20/20! That was out of 15 people that day that had the surgery.
Any questions just ask.