Lasik Update - Got Glasses

Wednesday, April 09, 2008
For a while, it has been somewhat difficult for me to drive at night. I had chalked it up to my vision getting progressively worse after lasik. To that end, I went to the eye doctor recently to get an updated prescription and some glasses.

The doctor told me that I indeed no longer have 20/20 vision. However, my prescription was quite low, so low he really couldn't give me any less of a prescription. Knowing how my vision is at night, I decided I still wanted to get glasses so I can hopefully be a little safer when I drive.

I got my glasses today, and they do help somewhat, but not greatly. Turns out I don't actually need the glasses. The actual problem is the much dreaded "Halo Effect" that people often get after Lasik. I noticed it a little bit after I got it, but it wasn't too severe. It has definitely gotten worse for me over time. It isn't to the point where it is a great problem when I drive, it is just annoying.

So I guess I'll have to just deal with it for now. Still think the Lasik was worth it. It's great 99% of the time. Just wished it had stayed where it was when I first got it. Oh well, there aren't any guarantees.

4 comments:

Jenny said...

My eyesight is not as good now as it was when I first got it...harder to see at night and occasionally blurry on certain days. I do, however, think I shouldn't have gotten it right before going to seminary and then read with so much fervor and frequency.

LASIK Patient said...

LASIK was the worst decision of my life. Since I had LASIK I have spent much of my spare time researching LASIK complications. The medical literature and FDA clinical trials report that chronic dry eyes and night vision impairment occur frequently after LASIK. The complication rate is actually quite high and varies depending on which study you read. Moreover, the LASIK flap only heals to 2% of the cornea's original tensile strength, and the biomechanical strength of the cornea is permanently reduced by about 50% after LASIK. LASIK patients face problems with glaucoma screening, future cataract surgery, and persistent decrease in corneal cells called keratocytes which are vital to the funtionality of the cornea. You can read more about LASIK risks and long-term complications on my website at www.lasikcomplications.com

Unknown said...

Guys...if your best-corrected vision has been steadily decreasing since LASIK, you /need/ to get periodic topographies taken. It's highly likely you have ectasia (which may well be of natural causes...you might just have had preexisting keratoconus).

The reason you need to know is that there are new treatments for keratoconus/ectasia...namely corneal crosslinking. It's in clinical trials in the US (just began this year), and has been done for many years in Europe and around the world to good effect.

This should at the very least stabilize vision, and in about half the cases seems to improve it somewhat.

Please contact me if you have any questions. I think it's 95% likely you have ectasia/keratoconus.

Anonymous said...

Hi T....

Came accross you blog searching for Lasik. Anyway i have a few questions i'm interested in getting answered. How old were you when you had Lasik? What was your prescription prior to Lasik?

Thanks for your help!