LASIK as a third year

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StudentDoctorM

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The most updated thread I could find here about LASIK was a few years old so I wanted to hear some of the more updated experiences here.. I'm in my third year with -6.5/-6.0 and thinking of getting LASIK done next week but am a bit anxious. Because after all, it is surgery.. on the eyes. Yikes

Anyone had LASIK during medical school here? did it affect studying/ performance at rotations and residency? The idea of constant dry eyes or halos while studying, during rotations, and while taking the Steps worries me too..

Or could anyone who has done it at any point in their life share their experience?

Thanks!


In case anyone is curious, I'm going with Custom Wavefront Allegretto Wave Excimer Laser 500 Hz.
 
N=1, my aunt did Lasik recently and is now vision-impaired in one eye with no option to correct with lenses.

StudentDoctorM said:
The most updated thread I could find here about LASIK was a few years old so I wanted to hear some of the more updated experiences here.. I'm in my third year with -6.5/-6.0 and thinking of getting LASIK done next week but am a bit anxious. Because after all, it is surgery.. on the eyes. Yikes

Anyone had LASIK during medical school here? did it affect studying/ performance at rotations and residency? The idea of constant dry eyes or halos while studying, during rotations, and while taking the Steps worries me too..

Or could anyone who has done it at any point in their life share their experience?

Thanks!


In case anyone is curious, I'm going with Custom Wavefront Allegretto Wave Excimer Laser 500 Hz.
Click to expand...
 
I've heard several horror stories about Lasik.....most people have no problems, and most likely you would be one of those people. But rarely, people are left blind or with other debilitating problems from Lasik (constant migraine headaches for example), and while less likely, this could also be you. As with anything, weigh the risk vs benefits, are the benefits you hope to achieve from Lasik, worth the very real risk, though very slight risk, that you could be with permanent physical problems, and possibly permanently disabled?
 
BidingMyTime said:
I've heard several horror stories about Lasik.....most people have no problems, and most likely you would be one of those people. But rarely, people are left blind or with other debilitating problems from Lasik (constant migraine headaches for example), and while less likely, this could also be you. As with anything, weigh the risk vs benefits, are the benefits you hope to achieve from Lasik, worth the very real risk, though very slight risk, that you could be with permanent physical problems, and possibly permanently disabled?
Click to expand...
Any one of those, including the migraine, would be a pretty big downer while tackling pre-clinical coursework.
 
StudentDoctorM said:
The most updated thread I could find here about LASIK was a few years old so I wanted to hear some of the more updated experiences here.. I'm in my third year with -6.5/-6.0 and thinking of getting LASIK done next week but am a bit anxious. Because after all, it is surgery.. on the eyes. Yikes

Anyone had LASIK during medical school here? did it affect studying/ performance at rotations and residency? The idea of constant dry eyes or halos while studying, during rotations, and while taking the Steps worries me too..

Or could anyone who has done it at any point in their life share their experience?

Thanks!


In case anyone is curious, I'm going with Custom Wavefront Allegretto Wave Excimer Laser 500 Hz.
Click to expand...


Best thing you can do is have a very candid conversation with the optho that would do the procedure. Ask about statistics/success rate for your specific needs, his length of experience doing the procedure with the actual tech he will be using (15 years of experience with Machine X doesn't mean jack if he uses Machine Y now and has only had it for 3 months), and specifically ask what he feels your risk factors and most likely outcomes are based on YOUR eyes.

After this, sit down and weigh your options. How much of a burden is wearing glasses/contacts to you vs. the benefit of not having to do it anymore vs. the potential that your vision will become worse (not exactly uncommon) or irreparably damaged (rare) in such a way that contacts/glasses would no longer be able to correct your vision like they probably do now.
 
Osteoth said:
Damnit whats wrong with contacts...
Click to expand...

I'm gonna take a wild guess and say someone who specializes in the eye doesn't like putting a foreign body in direct contact with the eye, especially if it can be avoided for a slightly less stylish option.
 
StudentDoctorM said:
The most updated thread I could find here about LASIK was a few years old so I wanted to hear some of the more updated experiences here.. I'm in my third year with -6.5/-6.0 and thinking of getting LASIK done next week but am a bit anxious. Because after all, it is surgery.. on the eyes. Yikes

Anyone had LASIK during medical school here? did it affect studying/ performance at rotations and residency? The idea of constant dry eyes or halos while studying, during rotations, and while taking the Steps worries me too..

Or could anyone who has done it at any point in their life share their experience?

Thanks!


In case anyone is curious, I'm going with Custom Wavefront Allegretto Wave Excimer Laser 500 Hz.
Click to expand...

Are you bothered by your current setup (glasses/contacts?). If you are, is the risk of permanent vision loss (not correctable by further surgery or glasses) worth the benefit of eliminating glasses?

Don't take what you have (perfect vision with lens correction) for granted. Everyone talks about wanting to "wake up and see the alarm clock." Tell that to the person who puts on their glasses and still can't see their alarm clock.
 
repititionition said:
Great quote from an optho (also applies here): you'll meet few ophthalmologists who wear contacts.
Click to expand...

Osteoth said:
Damnit whats wrong with contacts...
Click to expand...


Yeah, I've seen enough corneal ulcers (and some after a patient's first time ever wearing them) that I would never use one. Not to mention that glasses help protect your eyes from trauma, too!
 
StudentDoctorM said:
The most updated thread I could find here about LASIK was a few years old so I wanted to hear some of the more updated experiences here.. I'm in my third year with -6.5/-6.0 and thinking of getting LASIK done next week but am a bit anxious. Because after all, it is surgery.. on the eyes. Yikes

Anyone had LASIK during medical school here? did it affect studying/ performance at rotations and residency? The idea of constant dry eyes or halos while studying, during rotations, and while taking the Steps worries me too..

Or could anyone who has done it at any point in their life share their experience?

Thanks!


In case anyone is curious, I'm going with Custom Wavefront Allegretto Wave Excimer Laser 500 Hz.
Click to expand...

I had LASIK done in 2012. I had really bad vision (I couldnt even read the biggest letter on the chart). For the first 2-3 years everything was perfect. I had perfectly clear vision and better than 20/20. Then, one day when I was at work, I started seeing grey things moving in my FOV. Turns out I got floaters. I wasnt told that floaters could happen with LASIK, but I wish I would have known this before because I wouldnt have gotten it. I would have stuck with contacts. If you dont know what floaters are, look them up. I still have perfect vision (better than 20/20), but I hate going outside because all I see is crap flying all over my FOV. It makes it really hard to concentrate at school in a room with white walls or reading on white pages.
 
SynapticDoctah said:
I had LASIK done in 2012. I had really bad vision (I couldnt even read the biggest letter on the chart). For the first 2-3 years everything was perfect. I had perfectly clear vision and better than 20/20. Then, one day when I was at work, I started seeing grey things moving in my FOV. Turns out I got floaters. I wasnt told that floaters could happen with LASIK, but I wish I would have known this before because I wouldnt have gotten it. I would have stuck with contacts. If you dont know what floaters are, look them up. I still have perfect vision (better than 20/20), but I hate going outside because all I see is crap flying all over my FOV. It makes it really hard to concentrate at school in a room with white walls or reading on white pages.
Click to expand...

You get your retina checked out?
 
I had it in 2011 when I was in college. I never had any of the complications that you mentioned and never had a problem reading or studying, only had to make sure I was putting in the eye drops so I didn't get dry eye. Obviously n=1, but I had a good experience. I think the vast majority of people have minimal complications, but again that's the risk you're weighing against.
 
I've thought about getting it done (and because of connections I've got, I can get it done at a big big discount), but the problem is my Rx is seriously like 1.0-0.8 in each eye. Enough to be an annoyance when I don't have my glasses but not enough to bother me in most situations.
 
Thank you for everyone who has replied.

I have been thinking about getting my eyes done for a few years now.. and I am aware of the complications and the horror stories.. this is why it has taken me so long to get it done. I always back out after the consultation.

IMO a lot of research is missing to correctly determine why LASIK works for most and failed miserably for others. The pre-op and post-op care matters as much, or even more than, the procedure itself. In addition to this, the opthalmologist makes a big difference. However, it is very difficult to find the perfect surgeon... what do we base it on? the number of procedures done by the surgeon? patient consensus? I don't know the right answer for this..


I am well aware of the risks.. but it would take me an hour to type out the reasons why I am still deciding on doing it.. However, hearing from fellow students or physicians who have had LASIK themselves does help me be aware of both the short term and long term complications and side effects
 
I'm getting LASIK done next week and was wondering if there is anyone else out here that also had LASIK during their clinical rotations. Did it affect your performance or studying?
One of the main worries I have right now is how it might affect me during the STEP 2.. which is about 5 months away for me. Having dry eyes or halos during an 8 hour exam sounds frustrating..

Please share any experiences you might have had with this.

Thank you, wise ones
 
i did it and it was awesome. my vision sucked for about 1 week but then it came back better than ever. you wont regret it.
 
medicalstadent said:
i did it and it was awesome. my vision sucked for about 1 week but then it came back better than ever. you wont regret it.
Click to expand...

That sounds awesome! thank you for the reply! did you have any trouble studying/ staring at a computer screen for hours at all?
 
I thought that the LASIK complication rate was so low that it's not something to really consider but this thread has defintely changed my perception of that..
 
My girlfriend had LASIK at 22yo. Before that she was legally blind, even with glasses her vision wasn't that great. Now she's 20/20.

My aunt had LASIK, but it went poorly. Four procedures later, her vision is worse than ever. She's not allowed to drive at night even with glasses.

n = 2
 
eye love lamp said:
Yeah, I've seen enough corneal ulcers (and some after a patient's first time ever wearing them) that I would never use one. Not to mention that glasses help protect your eyes from trauma, too!
Click to expand...

Those patients are usually the ones who fell asleep in their lenses and decided to keep them in the entire following day. Or the ones who "wash" their lenses with water.
 
WingedOx said:
I've thought about getting it done (and because of connections I've got, I can get it done at a big big discount), but the problem is my Rx is seriously like 1.0-0.8 in each eye. Enough to be an annoyance when I don't have my glasses but not enough to bother me in most situations.
Click to expand...

Have you been evaluated for Lasik? It's been a few years since I was evaluated and considered it (so technology may be improved), but at that time, Lasik 1.0 - 0.8 would have been within the acceptable range that people would end up with after getting Lasik, ie there was no benefit for someone with eyesight as good as 1.0 - 0.8 to get Lasik.
 
I had lasik during my fourth year before doing sub-is. It was one of the best choices I have ever made. I hated wearing glasses. I was very worried before the procedure because I was planning on going into surgery. I was worried I would lose the crispness of my vision but it is maybe even better than presurgery. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
 
StudentDoctorM said:
I'm getting LASIK done next week and was wondering if there is anyone else out here that also had LASIK during their clinical rotations. Did it affect your performance or studying?
One of the main worries I have right now is how it might affect me during the STEP 2.. which is about 5 months away for me. Having dry eyes or halos during an 8 hour exam sounds frustrating..

Please share any experiences you might have had with this.

Thank you, wise ones
Click to expand...
If anything it made studying better for me because I no longer worried about glasses falling down my face while I read.
 
IF you want LASIK, make sure you get it done with the military. It is almost the ONLY thing the military does better than civilian counterparts. They have the most practice performing the procedures and I have never heard any of my fellow servicemen (N = 20+) complain about anything pertaining to their vision, even years afterwards. To not have ANY complaints at all even 5 years after is pretty damn impressive to me, since most veterans are incentivized with lifelong benefits if they can successfully claim disability due to military malpractice AND there is no statute of limitations on most things related to damage incurred in service. We are eligible to claim something as petty as hearing disability for simply shooting rifles during yearly qualifications, yet no problems with LASIK.

Look up military bases/hospitals near you and if there are options to get it done there. The Navy is pretty good at Balboa hospital in San Diego, if you live in SoCal.
 
darknecrosforte said:
IF you want LASIK, make sure you get it done with the military. It is almost the ONLY thing the military does better than civilian counterparts. They have the most practice performing the procedures and I have never heard any of my fellow servicemen (N = 20+) complain about anything pertaining to their vision, even years afterwards. To not have ANY complaints at all even 5 years after is pretty damn impressive to me, since most veterans are incentivized with lifelong benefits if they can successfully claim disability due to military malpractice AND there is no statute of limitations on most things related to damage incurred in service. We are eligible to claim something as petty as hearing disability for simply shooting rifles during yearly qualifications, yet no problems with LASIK.

Look up military bases/hospitals near you and if there are options to get it done there. The Navy is pretty good at Balboa hospital in San Diego, if you live in SoCal.
Click to expand...
I thought the military only allowed PRK? That's a whole nother beast.
 
tiedyeddog said:
I thought the military only allowed PRK? That's a whole nother beast.
Click to expand...
AFAIK, most limitations are on active duty patients depending on their specific job requirements (nuclear/biological/chemical engineers come to mind since contact lenses melt and glasses are a pain to deal with with gas masks) so dependents and others can just pay when time is available for procedures. They don't want LASIK flaps on servicefolk, but dependents and jobs like admin are okay to get them.
 
I had PRK during residency. As tiedyeddog said, it was one of the best choices I have made. My vision has been great for ~3.5 years now. The most awesome part is not having to think about the eye-wear accessories I need to take with me anytime I go somewhere for >16 hours - glasses, contacts, contacts case & solution, Rx sunglasses, non-Rx sunglasses. Now it's just sunglasses and that's it! Oh and also being able to lie down on the couch with my head against a pillow! And being able to see in the shower! And kissing my husband without them getting smeary! And not having glasses slide down my nose when I sweat!

I say get it done sooner rather than later, so you can reap the benefits for as long as possible.

(I only had PRK instead of Lasik because my corneas were too thin for Lasik. PRK takes quite a while longer to heal, and your vision takes several months to become crystal clear. I would have gotten Lasik if I could.)
 
Hi! I did the methode called NOCUT about 3 months ago. Just starting my fourth year in Swedish medschool.
about the procedure - I was super worried, and since I'm a medstudent I worry the double about complications etc. after all there is a small chance to go blind :S in the end I like statistics, that Comforts me, and the odds of bacterial infection was 1/5000 in my case. That turned out to be a small chance than to die in a car accident in my country. However I was super thorough with hygiene and medications after the procedure.
The actual operation was very short (not sure if same about LASIK) but I was very nervous, they gave me pills and I got to hold the nurses hand (i'm a 25 year Young man who has served in the army, haha ). After I was Crying (against my will) for 24 hours and had some pain for an additional 48 h.

About studying; I had a test 10 Days later, that was not well planned. I could start Reading again after about 4 Days, Before that I had prepaired recordings of all my notes so I listened a lot to them in the beginning!
I had sunglasses about 2 weeks Indoors, which made me look strange, but all the teachers and my friends accepted it 🙂 Some of the lighting in the wards was still a bit annoying after 3 weeks (after the surgery) but after about 3,5 weeks Everything Indoors was fine. I talked to the optician who guided me trough the operation and she told me that it was no problem for they Eye to read, Watch TV or computerscreens as long as I took my eyedrops and other meds. Now After 3 months I still use sunglasses outdoors (need them for about 6 months due to the NOCUT technique) I study normally and 3-5 times a day need to drop eyedrops (for moisture) if it is intense Reading.

So far my eyesight is greatly improved I now see 1.5 on a schnellen chart. However I cannot fully evaluate Before I'm completely healed after about 6 months. This is my experience so far atleast 😀
 
Got LASIK years ago. No horror stories, but my vision went from 20/15 with glasses to 20/20. I miss the acuity sometimes. The dry eye is bothersome but not terrible. Sometimes halos are also a minor nuisance.

My eyes are totally functional, so I don't regret my decision, but don't go in with unrealistic expectations, either. I didn't have a good sense of what the outcomes could be when I did it.
 
Had LASIK in June with the same laser that you are considering. My vision is great, 20/20 in the left and 20/15 in the right. The dry eye sucks for a few weeks, but is bearable by about a month. The halos around lights were pretty intense at first, but have gradually improved. I love it and wish I would have gotten it done sooner. Definitely assess your risk with the surgeon. I had a thick cornea and like -5 or so before the surgery.
 
Lot of misinformation in these posts. As an ophthalmologist I feel obliged to correct some of these errors for you:

1) just because you cannot see without glasses/contacts does NOT mean you have bad vision! you are not considered "legally blind" just because you cannot see without glasses/contacts. there is NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU if your vision can be corrected with glasses/contacts -- you simply have refractive error.

2) refractive surgery (LASIK/PRK) will NOT (with very rare exceptions) improve someone's vision. that is to say, if you see 20/25 (WITH YOUR GLASSES) preoperatively, the best you can see after surgery is 20/25. if someone says they can see 20/20 after their LASIK, that means they could see 20/20 beforehand as well -- WITH their glasses/contacts.

3) floaters and LASIK are NOT connected. Floaters are in the vitreous. LASIK/PRK are in your cornea. Corneal surgery does NOT cause you to have floaters. You have floaters because you have floaters. You were likely a myope with vitreous syneresis -- it happens to everyone, and your refractive surgery did not cause it.

4) ophthalmologists do not get refractive surgery because they are usually old enough to be presbyopic. refractive surgery cannot correct for presbyopia (unless you do monovision which then reduces your stereopsis), which makes the whole point of the surgery, i.e. glasses-free vision, moot.

5) implantable contact lenses are a terrible idea and no one does them anymore.

6) contact lenses are bad for your eyes, even if you take care of them.

7) just because you cannot see without glasses/contacts does NOT mean you have bad vision!!! you are NOT blind. you do NOT have bad eyes. you are NOT blind. you have GOOD eyes. you just need glasses. people who have bad eyes cannot see even with glasses. people who are blind cannot see even with glasses. if you put your glasses on and you can see, DON'T tell me you have bad eyes.
 
TheLesPaul said:
Lot of misinformation in these posts. As an ophthalmologist I feel obliged to correct some of these errors for you:

1) just because you cannot see without glasses/contacts does NOT mean you have bad vision! you are not considered "legally blind" just because you cannot see without glasses/contacts. there is NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU if your vision can be corrected with glasses/contacts -- you simply have refractive error.

2) refractive surgery (LASIK/PRK) will NOT (with very rare exceptions) improve someone's vision. that is to say, if you see 20/25 (WITH YOUR GLASSES) preoperatively, the best you can see after surgery is 20/25. if someone says they can see 20/20 after their LASIK, that means they could see 20/20 beforehand as well -- WITH their glasses/contacts.

3) floaters and LASIK are NOT connected. Floaters are in the vitreous. LASIK/PRK are in your cornea. Corneal surgery does NOT cause you to have floaters. You have floaters because you have floaters. You were likely a myope with vitreous syneresis -- it happens to everyone, and your refractive surgery did not cause it.

4) ophthalmologists do not get refractive surgery because they are usually old enough to be presbyopic. refractive surgery cannot correct for presbyopia (unless you do monovision which then reduces your stereopsis), which makes the whole point of the surgery, i.e. glasses-free vision, moot.

5) implantable contact lenses are a terrible idea and no one does them anymore.

6) contact lenses are bad for your eyes, even if you take care of them.

7) just because you cannot see without glasses/contacts does NOT mean you have bad vision!!! you are NOT blind. you do NOT have bad eyes. you are NOT blind. you have GOOD eyes. you just need glasses. people who have bad eyes cannot see even with glasses. people who are blind cannot see even with glasses. if you put your glasses on and you can see, DON'T tell me you have bad eyes.
Click to expand...

From what I've research, when the doctor "suctions" your eye to keep it from moving around during surgery, this causes the interocular pressure to rise that can cause the vitreous to remove from the wall of your eye. Is this not true? I literally had 0 floaters pre surgery, and tons post surgery. What else would have caused those.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
 
SynapticDoctah said:
For the first 2-3 years everything was perfect. I had perfectly clear vision and better than 20/20. Then, one day when I was at work, I started seeing grey things moving in my FOV. Turns out I got floaters.
Click to expand...

Your first post said you didn't get them until 2-3 years after the surgery.

Regardless, floaters are floaters. They'll happen to everyone at some point. Maybe it made them happen faster? Who knows. But it was only a matter of time.
 
Last edited:
TheLesPaul said:
Your first post said you didn't get them until 2-3 years after the surgery.

Regardless, floaters are floaters. They'll happen to everyone at some point. Maybe it made them happen faster? Who knows. But it was only a matter of time.
Click to expand...
You're right. I wasn't clear about that. The day after surgery I had 2 small floaters that weren't bothersome. Then 2-3 years after, I woke up and I had many floaters in both eyes. It's to the point where I don't like going outside now because it drives me absolutely crazy. It's hard to read or do anything.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
 
Maybe they were slowly accumulating and you didn't notice until there was a critical mass
 
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