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I have been thinking that I would get Lasik surgery someday, but not anymore.
http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/721249.html
Also check out this forum:
http://www.thelasikflap.com/forum/vi...b3373fefb58d65
Apparently, 1-2% have severe, irreversible damage. And much more suffer from dry eyes and bad night vision after lasik.
Any surgery has risks, but of course they vary in severity.
FWIW, I have had a handful of friends that have had Lasik. All are happy and have not had complications.
I have had two arthroscopic knee surgeries. Both times, it was cleary explained to me that there may be problems....and even the possibility of death. Would I do it again? Yes.
Would I have Lasik done on my eyes? I guess it boils down to how I felt about having to wear contacts or glasses all the time.
The problem is that many lasik clinics deny and downplay the risks. They seem to more concerned about getting your money. Everyday I hear advertisements on the radio for lasik. They try to lure you in with low prices and then pull the old bait and switch.
I've read several testimonies from people who have hazy vision or night vision so bad they can't drive at night after lasik, and yet their "doctors" declared their surgery a success.
Why did you get arthroscopic knee surgery Curtis?
I totally understand where you are coming from. You are doing the right thing to educate yourself to understand the risks.
My knees are bad. I tore the ACL and cartilage in my right knee in college, and had the surgery to clean up the cartilage....when I play court sports, I wear a custom knee brace on that one. I/we opted not to have reconstructive surgery since I seemed to perform well enough with the knee brace. Knee braces have come a long way since then as well....the one I have now is about half the weight of the one I started with when I was in college.
I tore the ACL and cartilage in my left knee about 15 years ago. Also had the cartilage cleaned up. Luckily, that knee is stable without the need of a brace....but I have to make sure I keep it strong.
I'll be a candidate for knee replacement surgery (right knee) in 10-20 years. I am hoping that artificial or replacement cartilage becomes commonplace before then though.....that is what I really need.
Hey Curtis, same here... 2 arthroscopic knee surgeries (both on same knee). No question, I would absolutely do it again -- I probably will have no choice but to have knee surgery once again. My knees are a mess -- those darn court sports destroy your knees (and back)!Quote:
Originally Posted by curtis
My mother-in-law had Lasik surgery, it left her with blurry spots in her vision...something to do with scar tissue remaining in her eye after the procedure. She doesn't seem too upset about it these days (its been a few years now), but I would think it would be a drag to go from bad vision that can be corrected with glasses to mediocre vision that you're just stuck with.
I think the big takeaway is "buyer beware". Not all Lasik doctors are created equal, choose one with a good reputation that will talk openly with you about the risks, and give you a lengthy list of references.
You have to be careful who performs the procedure. There are too many places that will do the surgery even if you aren't a good candidate for it.
Halos at night are caused when your pupil dilates larger than the corrected area of your cornea. The light coming through your cornea at the edge of the correction is distorted. The doctor is supposed to measure your pupil in darkness to check for this. I've heard some interesting stories about what some doctors label "good candidates for lasik" from doctors who have to fix other doctors' mistakes.
I know several people who have had lasik, all said it was great at first, but a few have since admitted that dry eyes, halos etc have been a problem.