ask me about eyes

[Wires]

Hey slim,

I'm 35 years old now and have been wearing glasses since the 5th grade. I'm just now considering laser eye surgery. I've been wearing glasses for so long now that they don't really faze me. However the thought of being able to see without wearing them is also appealing.

My main apprehension has nothing to do with fear of potential side effects and everything to do with expectation. I don't want to go through the procedure if I'm going to have to wear glasses for distance again in a few years (I accept that I will need glasses for reading).
My eyes are not that bad but just bad enough that I don't function well without glasses - -2.5 and -2.75 with a mild astygmatism - no significant history.

What would you say to a patient with my history and concerns?


BTW Thanks for taking the time to to do this "ask me" thread. It has been interesting and informative.

[slim]

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I've tried to wear contacts a couple times over the years. Each time I've tried I find that I can only wear them for a few hours before they irritate my eyes to the point that I need to take them out. The last time I tried was about 5+ years ago with some daily wear disposables. Have there been any improvements over the last few years? Any suggestions on a brand that might work for me?

Thanks!

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There has been great improvement in contact lenses in the last 3 years with the introduction of silicone hydrogel lenses. However, there are some people who just cannot wear any contacts bc their eyes are just too sensoitive or dry. But you should at least be able to wear them part time for sports or going out (3-4hrs). Try Acuvue Oasys.

[offTopic]

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slim-

My left eyelid becomes irritated over the course of a day. My eye doesn't tear up, but if I do nothing out of the ordinary, the eyelid will redden, and occasionally, the skin will become so irritated that a light scab will form along the eyelash line.

I put some neosporin on it, and the situation improved, but if I don't put the neosporin on, it will dry out and scab up. I do not have this problem with my right eye.

What's the deal?

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tough to say without looking at it but it sounds like eczema. Do you have dry skin anywhere else on the body?

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Nothing noticeable, and certainly nothing that acts like this (though the eyelid is obviously exposed to moisture more readily.)

[slim]

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I have astigmatism in both eyes. How effective can surgery be for someone like me?

I'm sure it all depends on how bad my eyes are and all that junk. I just want to know if it's realistic for me to think I can get surgery and function without glasses/contacts.

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the vast majority of patients have some degree of astigmatism.....the amount would dictate whether you are a good candidate.

[AlexSem]

excellent thead,

slim - I like many others here spend A LOT of time on the computer and my eyes simply get really tired.

On top of that, I don't have 20/20 but I can function and dont' see any need to get glasses (I can't see far away objects like the blackboard if I sit at the back of the classroom or bus numbers). Is it true that my eyesight will deteriorate if I dont' get glasses or contacts or should I just go on living cause it's not causing me any discomfort?

Are there eye exercises? How often should one take breaks from the computer? How about reading a book?

[slim]

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slim,
I have pretty dark circles under my eyes and have had them since early teens. They are there no matter how good of a sleep schedule I keep. Some say that I just have pronounced cheekbones and my eyes are a little sunken in my head which causes the circles. What is the best way to combat circles under eyes?

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I don't know..... [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[slim]

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slim,

any thoughts on ortho k?

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Yes.....horrible. You will very likely become progressively farsighted.

[slim]

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slim, which joke do you like best? i wrote them myself.

1. what's an optometrist's favorite flower?

-an iris

2. what did the optometrist put on his taco?

-extra guaclomo

3. what's an optometrist's favorite beer?

-coronea

4. -knock knock.
who's there?
-see an eye
see an eye who?
-seeing eye dog-tor

edit to add #4

i have others

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ROFL....not. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[slim]

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What are the odds of complications arising after going through LASIK or PRK? What's the worst that can happen?

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I already posted this earlier in your thread but maybe you missed it. I would really like to hear what you have to say about this as I am considering doing this sometime soon.

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I can't give you any odds of severe complications....it would differ from center to center and surgeon to surgeon. I can only tell you it is very low.....anywhere from 1 in a thousand to 1 in 5000. The worst possible outcome would be anything that causes the cornea to no longer be transparent such as an infection or corneal melt and you would need a corneal transplant.

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The worst possible outcome is endopthalmitis which can result in total blindness and loss of the eye. Retinal detachment would be a distant second.

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The question was regarding lasik/prk.....have you ever seen or heard of a case of endophthalmitis or retinal detachment from either of these procedures? I haven't and I worked at a laser clinic as well as had lasik myself. Neither were mentioned in the release I signed before the procedure.

[dinopoker]

Good thread. I had laser surgery about 6 years ago. I don't remember what kind. How much regression can I expect over the years? I tend to think that I've regressed a little, but I still see very well - far far better than I did with glasses/contacts prior to the procedure. If the regression continues, how long should i wait before getting an enhancement? 5 more years? 10? After the enhancement, will the eyes continue to regress at the same rate, or will it slow (or speed up)?