[chetan]

Is LASIK recommended for a power of -1.5 on both the eyes. I was using glasses from a long time time but i never use to wear it when i went outside and back then power was -1 now its -1.5 , but now i wear my glasses regularly its been 2 years and the power has not increased .

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by paras211

a friend was adviced by his doc. no going to places where there s a lot of smoke and no smoking either for at least a few months till the thing heals up.

Poor guy was smoking with his eyes closed the other day.lol

Few Months! Thats BS!!!
Your eyes are healed completely next day! In fact you can go back to work as well next day itself. I did.

They just cut a very thin membrane to perform Lasik and it heals pretty fast. The only precautions I was told after Lasik was to use lot of eye lubrication as eyes tend to dry up a lot after Lasik. You need to use eye drops (commonly known as artificial tears).

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by chetan

Is LASIK recommended for a power of -1.5 on both the eyes. I was using glasses from a long time time but i never use to wear it when i went outside and back then power was -1 now its -1.5 , but now i wear my glasses regularly its been 2 years and the power has not increased .

If your vision has stabilized (i.e. power not changed for few years) than you can go for it. However they'll first do some preliminary tests (basically to see if it can be performed on your eyes). You should better consult an eye doctor at a Lasik hospital.

[paras211]

Originally Posted by joslicx

Few Months! Thats BS!!!
Your eyes are healed completely next day! In fact you can go back to work as well next day itself. I did.

They just cut a very thin membrane to perform Lasik and it heals pretty fast. The only precautions I was told after Lasik was to use lot of eye lubrication as eyes tend to dry up a lot after Lasik. You need to use eye drops (commonly known as artificial tears).

may be . but he sure isnt supposed to be exposed to smoke.

[ascertain]

I underwent LASIK at Dr.Agarwals eye hospital chennai. One day of pre-op eye tests, where they measure the power,eye pressure,corneal curvature and all that. And next day schedule the procedure.

The procedure as such takes a few minutes, relatively painless (except for the lid retractors that are placed so that the lids stay apart, and the eye muscles are also injected with anesthetic, and a mild paralytic agent, so that they don't move during the procedure. The ophthalmologist will make a small incision in the cornea (The front most part of the eye), and raise a flap. The laser then burns away part of the layer underneath according to the correction required.

Under the laser gun, you really don't experience much, other than the irritating feeling of the lid retractor in your eye, which will make you want to blink- but then you can't!. The important part is to listen to the ophthalmologist carefully, and look wherever he/she says and try to hold your head still (of course you will be under restrainers). Because once the laser is focused, and starts firing, there's no going back.

Once the excimer laser starts, you hear some kind of small popping, and feel small dots in front of your eyes (this is the cornea burning away), but this lasts only till the laser is active- after that vision is a little blurred for some time. Subsequently, the other eye is done, and thats it!
Your eyes are padded up, you are told not to look at bright light, are given dark goggles to take home, and whoosh!- you are out of the hospital.

Now comes the important part - the post operative care will decide your vision - so in short- your sight is in your own hands!. Normally hospitals will give eye drops - lubricants,decongestants and antibiotics- to be instilled regularly.

Your vision will dramatically improve within 1-2 hours,and a whole new spectacle free world opens up ! but - precautions
1)DO not rub your eyes with your hands- even accidentally - because you have a thin flap of cornea which moves around, still in your eye.
2)Do not expose your eyes to bright lights for at least 8 hours - because as soon as you do- they will water up, and you will feel like rubbing!
3)Do not go into smoky, dusty areas, or near people with eye infections.
4)Drink fluids and eat normally
5)Instill eye-drops (Here's something most of us don't know- only one drop per eye is required - because only one drop is the capacity of each eye space- any more than that, and it'll just be wasted, flowing out of the corner of your eye- and make you think that you need even more drops.
6)Don't put all the drops together- give a time span of about 3-4 minutes after each. Its always better to get someone to do it for you initially.
7)During sleep too- take some precaution, don't rub!
8)BE regular with the medicines.

There will be a red ring or spot in your eyes, which might terrify you, but relax!- its normal, and it'll go off in two months time.

You need dark glasses for as long as you feel comfortable (usually 1 month, till the corneal flap heals completely)

any sign of eye congestion - go to your doctor immediately, don't try to fight it out with your strong will, or with homeopathy/ayurveda. Remember- you can do that after 4 months, when your eyes get back to normal completely. Keep in mind that you have blown up lots of money on restoring your eyesight!

Night driving may be a problem (make that WILL be a problem!) because you will see a Halo around bright lights (point sources) e.g bulbs, headlights etc.
So better to avoid late night rides, especially with full beams coming at you on the highway (Those guys don't know you had LASIK done! lol)

These are a few tips- now I am posting them here- because I underwent LASIK with a power of -2.5 D Both eyes, and now they are normal 6/6. I owe it to diligent eye care. Mostly people are unaware of the importance of post-op care.

Remember that there is an error margin of +/- 0.5 D, so don't grab you gun or advocate and head up to the ophthalmologist straightaway.

I'm a doc myself, by the way.


cheers

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by Iswear

That's the word. Keratoconus! ... And shajufx, please do a thorough research. I know you might have done. Just that this is a VERY sensitive thing.

Hi buddy, I will be very happy to get some tips from you about the diagnosis for Keratoconus as you mentioned. I am in Bangalore and dont mind any good place in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Let me know what you have done with your issue and how you feel now. I still survive with my -3 left eye and -13 or more right eye. Need to find a solution before the left eye gets weaker as days pass. Driving in the night is a strain for me as equal as driving more than 30 mts during day ! Its not just about driving, its all about spending over 10 hours on the PC Monday to Friday, Polluted air, Disturbed sleep, chlorinated water and many such things that are killing even healthy eyes in a city life !

[AbhiJ]

Originally Posted by joslicx

Few Months! Thats BS!!!
Your eyes are healed completely next day! In fact you can go back to work as well next day itself. I did.

Dont agree with you...

Complete healing takes time. You can start working the very next day, in most cases, but it is wise to take precautions for a couple of months.

I had lasik done in Dec 07. Considering my nature of work (sulphur fumes, dust etc) my doctor advised me to stay away from my factory for 2 weeks.

I too joined office the next day...

[carboy]

People who are going for Lasik or any other elective surgery please read a lot about potential complications before getting into it.

Some of the complications are mentioned here
LASIK - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There may be a serious complication which just occurs 1% of the time, but do you want to be that statistic?

Do thorough research
LaserMyEye :: FAQ for Patients :: Roadmap

There are 30-40 potential short-term & longterm complications listed here?
LaserMyEye :: FAQ for Patients

Even something like Dry Eyes which happens in a high percentage of lasik surgery can affect the quality of your life.

And as per the Wikipedia site, the incidence of dry eyes even 6 months after the surgery was 36% which is phenomenally high. And the FDA states that dry eyes may be permanent.

And dry eyes is probably the least of all the short-term & long term complications which can happen with LASIK.

I for one avoid elective surgery whenever possible.

Also consider one more thing - the first LASIK ever done must be what 15-20 years back i.e. we really don't have concrete information about real long term effects? What if you grow blind 30 years after LASIK or at age 60 or whatever?

Read some posts like these
10 years post-LASIK: I'm developing GASH?! - D'Eyealogues

Or this
10 years later - D'Eyealogues

Or this
My vision is making me nauseous and dizzy - D'Eyealogues

Maybe some these bad candidates for LASIK are detectable because of observations done in the last 15 years. What is more such bad candidates aren't detectable yet? What if it takes 10 more years of observations because this detection becomes even more reliable?

I for one avoid
- Elective surgery
- Any medication which is less than 10 years old.

Reason for the 2nd avoidance
- There are multiple medications which are regarded as super magical medicines
in their 1st 5 years, but slowly as real world data begins to come, they are
withdrawn or new prescription conditions are laid down, etc.

Consider Hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women which doctors in the US were prescribing with a lot of enthusiasm around 8-10 years back. Then it was withdrawn because it increased incidence of breast cancer.

Consider Rofecoxib which was considered as the magic pain killer for 5 years before it was banned.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by AbhiJ

Dont agree with you...

Complete healing takes time. You can start working the very next day, in most cases, but it is wise to take precautions for a couple of months.

I had lasik done in Dec 07. Considering my nature of work (sulphur fumes, dust etc) my doctor advised me to stay away from my factory for 2 weeks.

I too joined office the next day...

Actually I did a bit of a research myself before going for Lasik. You'll find that healing is pretty fast. Your eyes are completely healed by next day!

Actually the post-op precautions are mostly just precautionary (not saying they are not important but that has nothing to do with healing itself. They are to prevent complications like infections or things like that). The corneal flap that they cut is also healed within hours. Lasik is a relatively newer surgery (just couple of decades old) and doctors still take lot of post op precautions.
That said, I think it is imperative and very very important to adhere to that. We dont want any unnecessary risks here do we

[DocG]

NO YOUR EYES DO NOT HEAL IN ONE DAY!

I'd like to remind everyone here that what you find on the WWW is not a substitute for books, nor does it qualify you to advise/make assertive points.

@joslicx you are a patient and not a doctor, please quit while you're ahead...

Post-op care is to prevent trauma or irritation to the eye.

I believe I've explained LASIK and it's Advantages/Disadvantages in a prior post on this thread.
Due to lack of time at the moment I'll try to post in full detail tomorrow.

cheers:

[carboy]

Top 10 Reasons to avoid LASIK
LASIKComplications.com - Top Ten Reasons Not To Have LASIK Surgery

Do you want to be a statistic?
I'm new and/or I have a question! - D'Eyealogues

Non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating rehab and providing support to patients with Lasik complications, as well as problems after other refractive surgery.
Lasik complication help, bad lasik results

Some doctors who provide treatment to patients with complications
Coppell Family Eyecare Home Page, Dr. Greg Gemoules, aka Dr. Leukoma
Dr. Lee Ortho-K Centre: Specializing in Orthokeratology, Post-Surgical Rehabilitation, and Pediatric Optometry

Another forum for people having complications
Personal Post-Op Stories - Forum Powered by eve community

Forum with medical literature
Medical Literature Archive - Forum Powered by eve community

Remember this is elective surgery. Do you want to risk complications for elective surgery - especially for your eyes?

With contact lens, the inconviniences are minor, as compared to what it will be if you become a statistic.

Remember - these are your eyes, not the eyes of the doctor who is willing to take the risk.

We aren't all automotive engineers but we still do a lot of research before buying a car. Do we blindly trust dealers or
others who have a financial benefit in selling a car to us before doing our own research?

We aren't accoustic engineers but we still do a lot of research before buying electronics.

We don't need to be doctors before we do research on a procedure which affects our eyes? In my opinion, a BIG NO.

A lemon car or unsuitable stereo is at worst a monetory loss. Give your eyes atleast as much respect as your car or audio system.
Do the neccessary research before plunging in.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by DocG

NO YOUR EYES DO NOT HEAL IN ONE DAY!

I'd like to remind everyone here that what you find on the WWW is not a substitute for books, nor does it qualify you to advise/make assertive points.

@joslicx you are a patient and not a doctor, please quit while you're ahead...

Post-op care is to prevent trauma or irritation to the eye.

I believe I've explained LASIK and it's Advantages/Disadvantages in a prior post on this thread.
Due to lack of time at the moment I'll try to post in full detail tomorrow.

cheers:

Ok heres some info from US FDA (Food and Drug Administration site):
Link: Laser Eye Surgery: Is It Worth Looking Into?

I cant think of any source more authentic on this subject than this!

Frequently Asked Questions About Laser Eye Surgery

Is it painful? There is little if any discomfort during surgery because the cornea and eye are anesthetized by drops. Some patients experience a "scratchy feeling." After the anesthetic wears off, the amount of discomfort varies with each individual, but any irritation is minor and usually disappears within a few hours. You may be sensitive to light for a few days.
When will I be able to return to work? Most people can return to work one to three days following surgery, but a rule of thumb is to wait until you feel up to it. Most return to normal activities as soon as the day after surgery.
What are the side effects and risks? The most common side effects are a halo effect and some glare at night around lights.
(See "What Are the Risks of Laser Surgery?")
How long does the treatment take? Laser treatment itself takes only about 15 to 40 seconds, based on the degree of correction necessary. Recovery is minimal, and usually the patient is able to be driven home after about 30 minutes. Typically, you will notice improved sight in 3 to 5 days following treatment.
Is the treatment permanent? According to the results of the U.S. clinical trials and results reported internationally, the treatment appears to be permanent. As people age, however, their eyes change and re-treatment may be necessary.
Are there any activity restrictions following surgery? Following surgery, do not rub your eyes. Other than that, patients can do whatever they feel up to as long as they follow their doctors' instructions.
What if I move my head during surgery? This is the number one question that patients ask when undergoing laser treatment. The surgeon is skilled in the technique of removing his foot from the pedal that controls the ultraviolet beam as soon as a patient moves his or her head. This allows him to realign the beam with the corneal "target" and proceed with the surgery.

What Are the Risks of Laser Surgery?

The risks outlined below apply to both PRK and LASIK procedures. The chances of having a serious vision-threatening complication are minimal, and there have been no reported cases of blindness following either PRK or LASIK, says James Salz, M.D., clinical professor of ophthalmology. However, FDA is aware of a few instances of severe eye injury requiring corneal transplant. Infection and delayed healing: There is about a 0.1 percent chance of the cornea becoming infected after PRK, and a somewhat smaller chance after LASIK. Generally, this means added discomfort and a delay in healing, with no long-term effects within a period of four years.
Undercorrection/Overcorrection: It is not possible to predict perfectly how your eye will respond to laser surgery. As a result, you may still need corrective lenses after the procedure to obtain good vision. In some cases, a second procedure can be done to improve the result.
Decrease in Best-Corrected Vision: After refractive surgery, some patients find that their best obtainable vision with corrective lenses is worse than it was before the surgery. This can occur as a result of irregular tissue removal or the development of corneal haze.
Excessive Corneal Haze: Corneal haze occurs as part of the normal healing process after PRK. In most cases, it has little or no effect on the final vision and can only be seen by an eye doctor with a microscope. However, there are some cases of excessive haze that interferes with vision. As with undercorrections, this can often be dealt with by means of an additional laser treatment. The risk of significant haze is much less with LASIK than with PRK.
Regression: In some patients the effect of refractive surgery is gradually lost over several months. This is like an undercorrection, and a re-treatment is often feasible.
Halo Effect: The halo effect is an optical effect that is noticed in dim light. As the pupil enlarges, a second faded image is produced by the untreated peripheral cornea. For some patients who have undergone PRK or LASIK, this effect can interfere with night driving.
Flap Damage or Loss (LASIK only): Instead of creating a hinged flap of tissue on the central cornea, the entire flap could come off. If this were to occur it could be replaced after the laser treatment. However, there is a risk that the flap could be damaged or lost.
Distorted Flap (LASIK only): Irregular healing of the corneal flap could create a distorted corneal shape, resulting in a decrease of best-corrected vision.
Incomplete Procedure: Equipment malfunction may require the procedure to be stopped before completion. This is a more significant factor in LASIK, with its higher degree of complexity, than in PRK.
Problems with a Perfect Procedure: Even when everything goes perfectly, there are effects that might cause some dissatisfaction. Older patients should be aware that they can't have both good distance vision and good near vision in the same eye without corrective lenses. Some myopic patients rely on their myopia (by taking off their glasses, or by wearing a weaker prescription) to allow them to read. Such a patient may need reading glasses after the myopia is surgically corrected. Another consideration is the delay between eye treatments. If one eye is being done at a time, then the eyes may not work well together during the time between treatments. If a contact lens is not tolerated on the unoperated eye, work and driving may be awkward or impossible until the second eye has been treated.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by joslicx

Ok heres some info from US FDA (Food and Drug Administration site):
Link: Laser Eye Surgery: Is It Worth Looking Into?

[snip]

(See "What Are the Risks of Laser Surgery?")

Your links seem pretty old - from 1999. Here are current links

Here are some links from FDA updated in 2007

US FDA/CDRH: LASIK - What are the risks and how can I find the right doctor for me?

• Some patients lose vision. Some patients lose lines of vision on the vision chart that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery as a result of treatment.
• Some patients develop debilitating visual symptoms. Some patients develop glare, halos, and/or double vision that can seriously affect nighttime vision. Even with good vision on the vision chart, some patients do not see as well in situations of low contrast, such as at night or in fog, after treatment as compared to before treatment.
• You may be under treated or over treated. Only a certain percent of patients achieve 20/20 vision without glasses or contacts. You may require additional treatment, but additional treatment may not be possible. You may still need glasses or contact lenses after surgery. This may be true even if you only required a very weak prescription before surgery. If you used reading glasses before surgery, you may still need reading glasses after surgery.
• Some patients may develop severe dry eye syndrome. As a result of surgery, your eye may not be able to produce enough tears to keep the eye moist and comfortable. Dry eye not only causes discomfort, but can reduce visual quality due to intermittent blurring and other visual symptoms. This condition may be permanent. Intensive drop therapy and use of plugs or other procedures may be required.
• Results are generally not as good in patients with very large refractive errors of any type. You should discuss your expectations with your doctor and realize that you may still require glasses or contacts after the surgery.
• For some farsighted patients, results may diminish with age. If you are farsighted, the level of improved vision you experience after surgery may decrease with age. This can occur if your manifest refraction (a vision exam with lenses before dilating drops) is very different from your cycloplegic refraction (a vision exam with lenses after dilating drops).
• Long-term data are not available. LASIK is a relatively new technology. The first laser was approved for LASIK eye surgery in 1998. Therefore, the long-term safety and effectiveness of LASIK surgery is not known.

More from MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicity)

MedlinePlus: Laser Eye Surgery

Risks

• Over- or under-treatment of the condition may occur, requiring additional surgery, contact lens, or glasses.
• Reading glasses may still be needed after surgery.
• Some patients, although they may see much better than before LASIK without glasses, will still need glasses for their best vision.
• Problems with night driving or visual symptoms, such as glare and haloes.
• Problems with a decrease in contrast sensitivity, and even with 20/20 vision, objects may appear fuzzy or gray.
• Corneal infection.
• Corneal scarring, permanent warping of the cornea and an inability to wear contact lenses.
• A loss of vision -- not seeing as well after surgery, even with glasses or contacts as before the surgery.
• Permanent vision loss.
• Flap complications.
• Light Sensitivity
• Dryness.
• Scratchiness.
• Patches of red or pink in the white of the eye.
• Decreased distance vision at high altitudes

Also, not that people with many of these complications are still considered as successful surgeries, as long as long sight got corrected.
So success rate statistic is rather misleading.

Also, some of these complications may surface only a few years after surgery.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I underwent a surgical procedure once, nothing to do with the eyes, and it doesn't matter what, but some time later I read that one person in a thousand have a serious reaction to the stuff they had to inject into my blood, that can be fatal.

1 in 1,000; 0.001; it seams like a tiny number --- but reading this sent a shiver down my spine!

Somebody in a previous thread mentioned one in a hundred --- that is way too high a risk in my book!

[tsk1979]

Lasik came out in 1998 whereabouts ,when it was considered the miracle cure. With 10 years gone, its not considered that hot, and the updated FDA page is the evidence.
Heck my doctor who actually makes money from Lasik told me not to risk my eye, as he has seen around 3-5% issue rate