Lasik surgery for Pathologist?

[hzma]

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Hello,
Have you or anyone you know in the Pathology field had Lasik done for near-sightedness, and had a negative experience that interfered with their sign-out or looking into a scope?
I'm considering it (i'm like a -6) but kinda worried. If i could get insurance on my eyes, (like JLo has on her butt) I'd be fine, but...
Any input?

 

[lifehouse51]

Hello,
Have you or anyone you know in the Pathology field had Lasik done for near-sightedness, and had a negative experience that interfered with their sign-out or looking into a scope?
I'm considering it (i'm like a -6) but kinda worried. If i could get insurance on my eyes, (like JLo has on her butt) I'd be fine, but...
Any input?

I did my Lasik about 3 years ago and I was -9 or -10 when I did it. I haven't started my Path residency yet, but I do use microscope a lot this year and I had no problem with looking at things. I do have more problems with vision at night/low light environment, where things can get blurry. I heard that this is a common side effect if you have very big pupils in the dark (Mine were >8mm when fully dilated)

 

[HbyHA]

I did my Lasix about 3 years ago and I was -9 or -10 when I did it. I haven't started my Path residency yet, but I do use microscope a lot this year and I had no problem with looking at things. I do have more problems with vision at night/low light environment, where things can get blurry. I heard that this is a common side effect if you have very big pupils in the dark (Mine were >8mm when fully dilated)

i had Lasik about 5 years ago, as a 3rd year med student on my Ophthalmology rotation (ironic, no?) i haven't had any problems during my 3+ years as a resident. i did have some dry eyes initially but that didn't last to long. i think i do have some decreased night vision with slight halos, but it isn't anything major. i was told i had 2 of the 3 risk factors for having that side effect (-5 plus astigmatism and large pupil size). but i can see the alarm clock when i wake up!!!!

 

[Entgegen]

Never had it done nor do I need it, but this is just my opinion. If I was a candidate for Lasik, there's no way in hell I'd ever do it. True, the risk for serious damage to your eyesight is incredibly small, but your alternative to getting the procedure is, what, being inconvenienced by glasses or contacts? I'm not necessarily speaking about repercussions that would affect your being a pathologist or even a physician in general, but you'd risk (albeit a small risk) arguably your most important sense for day-to-day living just so you don't have to bother with glasses or contacts? You'd have to be crazy to do it, IMO.

But then I've always had near-perfect vision, so my personal risk/benefit analysis may be a bit different from someone who's had to deal with vision problems their whole life.

 

[lifehouse51]

i think i do have some decreased night vision with slight halos, but it isn't anything major. i was told i had 2 of the 3 risk factors for having that side effect (-5 plus astigmatism and large pupil size). but i can see the alarm clock when i wake up!!!!

I felt the same with low light/night environment as well. I think when you stare at something bright like the display of an alarm clock, a computer screen, etc. you pupils immediately constrict and the blurriness' no longer an issue. For me, it's more of a problem say, if I'm in a low light environment such as a romantic restaurant, and I'm trying to read the things on the menu without a bright light source. Things are still readable, but just not sharp for me. When I use a microscope, it's never been a problem, maybe because I am looking at a bright source. Again, I heard that if you have small pupils, it'll be less noticeable.

As with any surgery, there's risk of infection, unintended damage to cornea associated with LASIK. Obviously find a good LASIK specialist (Not just any ophthalmologist...look at the number of cases he/she has done. Cost also shouldn't be the only consideration).

 

[Entgegen]

As with any surgery, there's risk of infection, unintended damage to cornea associated with LASIX.

What about pissing like a racehorse?

 

[lifehouse51]

What about pissing like a racehorse?

Sorry those anti-HTN drugs still get stuck in my mind 😀

 

[yaah]

No way in hell I'm doing it. I would like to not have to wear corrective lenses but it's a relatively minor annoyance. I'm sure there are success stories, but do a search (I can later if I have time), I think we had this discussion recently. I think there are quite a few people who had trouble with adjusting to the microscope afterwards. There are also too many stories of people suffering from dry eyes, whatever, afterwards.

It's the kind of thing where even if the risk of a sub-optimal outcome is 1%, that's too much of a risk to outweigh the benefits for me personally.

 

[HbyHA]

i don't think people should jump to having the surgery without seriously considering the consequences. i do think though that people who haven't been horribly nearsighted almost their entire life can't understand what it's like being virtually blind without corrective lenses. without them, i could barely walk down the street. i can't see people's faces. as someone who is so used to being self-reliant, having to rely on an inanimate object so desperately was tough to take.

i finally decided to have the surgery because i was running out of options as my contacts became harder and harder for my eyes to tolerate over the 14 years of using them. wearing glasses was a fine option for me when just attending classes and in regular daily life. however, i'm an avid horseback rider and the possibility of taking a spill and having my glasses end up in my eyeball was a bit disconcerting.

if people are considering having the surgery, the one thing i would recommended is NOT using a place like Kremer. I had a consultation there and that place gave me the creeps. They rarely turn people away, even those with a higher risk of significant side effects. I spent more time while i was there with the "Financial Consultant" then I did with the ophthomologist, who just dopped by for 2 minutes after the techs had gone through all of the cornea mapping, etc. i RAN away as fast as i could. I ended up having my surgery at the very well known eye hospital that's part of my med school and felt much better about it.

in the end, it is the individual's decision to decided what the risk-benefit ratio is for them.

 

[hzma]

Thanks guys, that's very helpful. I think I should think it over a bit more before deciding. Its also kinda pricey, so. But thanks for your input, I appreciate it.

 

[lipomas]

You're not getting me anywhere near that surgery. Since it's such a huge profit center for certain practices that automatically makes it overutilized. I agree with the above statement that so long as a real complication rate exists, no matter how low it is, I am staying away from it. If I worked in a manual labor field I would consider it. But not now.

 

[mrp]

I had PRK (predated LASIK) about 12 years ago. It was the best $2200 I ever spent. I really hated glasses and contacts were even worse.

I've had perfect vision since then. It's awesome not to have to think about my vision.

Of course, if it hadn't gone well, it would have been the worst money I had ever spent. Your mileage may vary, buyer beware, etc.

 

[BrainPathology]

Several of my attendings have done it. One had a complication but he eventually got over it.

I'd ask as many people as you can who is the best provider in a 1000 mile radius of you. If you even think about asking "how much is it" then stop and don't do it until you don't have to ask that anymore. Once you have some sort of consensus about who the best one around you is go talk to them and see if you feel comfortable.

I'm looking into it when I'm more settled. The complication rate of everything is real. Driving to work has a complication rate (see Dr G's book "How Not to Die" there is a great chart in there about the lifetime odds of dying from car accidents, plane crashes, etc) I usually decide that if a complication rate is less than or equal to dying in a car crash it's a risk I'm already comfortable taking every day.

 

[lipomas]

Of course the complication rate of everything is real. The complication rate of sitting on a toilet is not non-existent. But you don't just look at complication rate and compare it to real things like car crashes if that isn't applicable. You look at complication rate and factor it in with purported benefits to you personally. To me, I don't care whether the complication rate of Lasik is higher than dying in a car accident, I look at whether I am willing to assume the risk given that the benefits for me are a marginal improvement in life, predominantly in removing the minor annoyance that is wearing corrective lenses. I consider this minor annoyance to be very minor, thus the complication rate for lasik needs to be overwhelminingly low (like 1 in a billion). There are other things with a complication rate higher than that that I would gladly risk.

 

[lipomas]

by the way, the top of this page for me now has an ad for lasik surgery! I love google ads.