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Old March 28, 2006, 03:15 AM   #12
dallasconundrum
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 29, 2005
Location: West Tennessee
Posts: 211
I agree with some of the above posts that you have to weigh your options carefully. Age, current vision, etc. Also, be sure to find the best doc that you can. I had mine done about 3 years ago now. Overall I am quite happy with mine.

Before I had it done, my vision was pretty horrible. I had astigmatism very bad which complicates the surgery, and my uncorrected vision was 20/400. Which is the big E at the top of the charts I believe. Also, my vision had been in a fairly steady state of decline over the years requiring me to upgrade my prescription every few years. Corrected, I can't recall but it wasn't 20/20, probably 20/40 or so. They told me that I would be very lucky to come out with perfect vision considering my (then) current state. So, I knew that going in. I was also well aware of the risks and horror stories. Ultimately though, I decided to go ahead with the procedure. I was just tired of wearing glasses and still not be able to see that well, and with my astigmatism being so bad, contacts were tricky.

So, I went ahead with it. They told me that they were going to have to laser me longer than normal and that my recovery time would likely be slow. Indeed it was. At the regular post-op check-ups I saw people that had it done the same day as me who were almost fully recovered. Me? It looked to me like I was underwater, everything was horribly blurry and I couldn't focus nor did I have much depth perception. As time went on, I started to really worry. It took me about three weeks to start seeing significant improvement. However, I did. Now, my uncorrected vision is 20/30 out of one eye and 20/35-40 out of the other. Corrected I am 20/20 perhaps even better. I rarely wear glasses now however, as I see better now than I ever did with them before.

I too experience the halos at night, and sometimes they can be annoying, but I knew going in that they were likely and for most part it isn't a big deal to me. I have also invested in several pairs of high quality sunglasses as bright lights can give me headaches. This problem has went away considerably though, and I find myself not wearing the shades as much as I (and everyone really) should anymore. Another problem that I've had which has lessened some over time is that if I go on VERY little sleep (which I'm prone to doing from time to time) that my vision begins to blur. This too is a problem that people generally experience anyway, but especially at first, after the surgery it was more prenounced.

For me, I am happy I did it. I like not having to worry with glasses and having to wear them from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed. Would I do it again? Yes. Will I get a "touch up" if I need it down the road? Probably. However, it is a very, very difficult decision to make. As I am sure you're aware of. Again, my advice to anyone who is considering it is: look at your particular situation and find a doctor you trust to talk it over with. It is a bit of a gamble though no matter what I would say, but the odds are better now than they were in the past with the newer technology.
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