LASIK as an MS4?

[bluebird123]

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Hi everyone! I am a current M4, not going into ophtho (sorry!), but I am going into another surgical subspecialty, pending the results of the Match, of course. I have been thinking about getting LASIK during the last few months my M4 year. My prescription has been stable at -2.5/-1.5 since 6th grade and I am now 26. I am just sick of the contact lens care, glasses getting dirty or sliding down my face, trouble getting surgical eye pro to fit over glasses, contacts itching, etc., etc. Same story as everyone else, right? But my vision isn't terrible without glasses, just barely bad enough that I have to wear glasses all the time. Anyway, I had a consultation and was told that I am a good candidate for either waveform LASIK or or PRK. I have seasonal allergies with mildly dry eyes so I understand that I may need lacrimal plugs or eye drops during the healing process. I am a teeny bit nervous about the risks of worsening vision, though, and I'm really hoping the experienced folks on here can give me a better idea of the risk of worsening vision. I am currently correctable to 20/20 with glasses. What are the odds that my vision after LASIK or PRK will be permanently worse than 20/20? I see mention of halos post-op - are these more common with PRK or with LASIK, and are they really any more problematic than when I get a fingerprint on my glasses? If there is a good resource where I can find this stuff out for myself, I would love it if you could point me in the right direction. Thanks!!

 

[OphthoApp]

You cannot ask personal medical questions on student doctor.

 

[PBEA]

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0062-basics-lasik-eye-surgery

 

[bluebird123]

You cannot ask personal medical questions on student doctor.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to ask for personal medical advice, I have seen a local ophthalmologist for that. I included my actual #s to demonstrate that based on my reading, I think I am a fairly low-risk candidate, and because older threads that I found where people discussed LASIK/PRK, the commenters asked for specific numbers. I am just trying to get more insight into the general risks and benefits of LASIK and PRK for someone who would be up a creek if their vision was severely and permanently damaged by this procedure. Google keeps taking me to consumer testimonial-type stuff from people saying how much they love LASIK, with vague statements about how there is a risk of permanent damage, and I'm having a hard time finding hard numbers for the actual risks. What % of patients are able to see 20/20 or better after LASIK or PRK? What % have halos or other issues with their post-op vision? What are the implications of those issues? Taken to extremes, if 20% of patients are unable to safely drive at night after LASIK/PRK, that's important to know, but no one seems to give actual numbers, and since I don't have any experience with LASIK, I'm having a hard time putting these risks in context.

I guess a better question to ask would be do many ophthalmologists choose to keep wearing corrective lenses rather than undergoing LASIK/PRK?

 

[PBEA]

I guess a better question to ask would be do many ophthalmologists choose to keep wearing corrective lenses rather than undergoing LASIK/PRK?

yes

http://www.lasikcomplications.com/TopTenReasons.htm

read number 8......twice

there aren't any really good numbers because there is no reporting requirement, given the high volume of procedures I'd say that we have relatively little good information.

here's a wiki

In October 2009, the FDA, the National Eye Institute (NEI), and the Department of Defense (DoD) launched the LASIK Quality of Life Collaboration Project (LQOLCP) to help better understand the potential risk of severe problems that can result from LASIK[96] in response to widespread reports of problems experienced by patients after LASIK laser eye surgery.[95] This project examined patient-reported outcomes with LASIK (PROWL). The project consisted of three phases: pilot phase, phase I, phase II (PROWL-1) and phase III (PROWL-2).[97] The last two phases were completed in 2014.
The results of the long-awaited LASIK Quality of Life Study were disclosed in October, 2014.
Based on study results:

• Up to 45 percent of participants, who had no visual symptoms before surgery, reported at least one visual symptom at three months after surgery.

• Participants who developed new visual symptoms after surgery, most often developed halos. Up to 35 percent of participants with no halos before LASIK had halos three months following surgery.

• Up to 30 percent of participants with no symptoms of dry eyes before LASIK, reported dry eye symptoms at three months after their surgery.

• Less than 1 percent of study participants experienced “a lot of” difficulty with or inability to do usual activities without corrective lenses because of their visual symptoms (halos, glare, et al.) after LASIK surgery.

• Participants who were not satisfied with the LASIK surgery reported all types of visual symptoms the questionnaire measured (double vision/ghosting, starbursts, glare, and halos).[96]

At the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) convention in Chicago on October 17, 2014 the FDA's director of the Division of Ophthalmic Devices, ophthalmologist Malvina B. Eydelman, in conclusion to her presentation about the LASIK study results said: "Given the large number of patients undergoing LASIK annually, dissatisfaction and disabling symptoms may occur in a significant number of patients"[98]