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> (Got laser-eye surgery eventually, biggest life enhancement I ever had). I will never not upvote a comment that mentions something like this. Laser eye surge

> (Got laser-eye surgery eventually, biggest life enhancement I ever had). I will never not upvote a comment that mentions something like this. Laser eye surgery (well, LASIK, specifically) is biggest external boost to my happiness that I've managed[1]. I would strongly recommend that anyone who can get it, absolutely should. [1] https://old.reddit.com/r/KidsAreFuckingStupid/comments/p2c7vh/love_spending_200_just_to_see/h8k5ou2/ https://old.reddit.com/r/KidsAreFuckingStupid/comments/p2c7v...

kgwxd 4y ago
For some people, it’s not a permanent fix. I got it in 2003 and needed glasses again by 2013
- goldenkey 4y ago
  Indeed, I am sorry that happened to you. The reason is that it doesn't fix the root of the problem, eyeball length. Instead, it barbarically carves a lens shape into one's cornea. Here's my comment about all of this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31834633#31860661 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31834633#31860661
boredemployee 4y ago
does the surgery still worth doing for 35+ people?
- feintruled 4y ago
  Absolutely. The older the better in some cases, as your prescription will change over time. I'm actually starting to get long sighted now as I age.
  - prawn 4y ago
    I'm about -2.50 and can function around the house without glasses most of the time - because I almost never wear glasses, I hate wearing them. I wear contacts otherwise and don't find them much of an imposition besides when camping. My main concern is probably eye health given I'm lazy with changing/cleaning contact lenses. At 45yo, should I bother?
    - gjulianm 4y ago
      I have family members that had their operation at around 40 and they say it's worth it. You might get 10 years of no glasses/contact lenses before you need glasses again for presbyopia. I personally had -2.5 too and honestly it's been the best decision I've made.
      - prawn 4y ago
        Am I correct in thinking that the presbyopia is coming regardless, and I'll be able to avoid contacts/glasses for general distance stuff (driving/camping/existing) for a solid length of time? I have a three month camping trip coming up and wondered about trying to get my eyes done before then. Of course, I should've done them back in my 20s, but better late than never.
        gjulianm 4y ago
        I honestly don't know if it's coming regardless. I'd talk to an ophthalmologist because as usual, it depends. I'd assume that for distance stuff you could avoid any correction, but I'm not sure about that. > I have a three month camping trip coming up and wondered about trying to get my eyes done before then. My recovery took a few days (I had the more invasive procedure due to dry eye concerns) and I think they tell you to not do any activity where your eyes could get damaged during a few weeks just to be sure, so try to plan around that.
        prawn 4y ago
        Thanks for sharing the info - I appreciate it.
feintruled 4y ago
Agreed. For me, it was the coolest living in the future thing imaginable. My eyes were crap, something that in days gone by might have condemned me to the scrapheap, and it got fixed, by science. With a LASER. Just an incredible barometer of progress.
- JCharante 4y ago
  A blade cutting my eye sounds terrifying though. Did you go completely under?
  - feintruled 4y ago
    No, you don't. You get eye drops to anaethetise the eye, that's it. BUT.. it's not as horrible as it sounds. Even this initial cutting of the flap is all done with a automated thing that covers your eye, it's not like some guy sways up to you with a scalpel wobbling in his hand. You don't 'see' anything other than your view being obstructed, you certainly don't feel anything. (There is some discomfort afterwards, but they give you eye drops which work wonders) There is a slight smell of something burning, which is a little disconcerting, I can't lie.
  - Vinnl 4y ago
    I had TransPRK, where the experience really just came down to "a light shines in your eye for 20s, then another 20s in the other eye, and you're done". A day of pain afterwards though, which wasn't great. But zero regrets, even on that day. And you have that with LASIK too, though not with LASEK, IIRC.
- goldenkey 4y ago
  You got lucky if you didn't need follow up surgeries. The most common cause of myopia is eyeball length, which laser eye surgery doesn't address. So folks end up getting their cornea shaved and sculpted up, in a barbaric way (lasers wow!?) and then their eyeball length accommodates and they need the surgery yet again. There's only so much cornea that can be cut away.. in fact, often folks end up with chronic dry eye from the surgeries. The cornea is really not meant to be cut up, it's extremely delicate, and scars and ulcerates easily. Here's my full comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31834633#31860661 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31834633#31860661
alexpetralia 4y ago
Agreed on the LASIK. Huge step-level increase in quality of life.

kgwxd 4y ago

For some people, it’s not a permanent fix. I got it in 2003 and needed glasses again by 2013

goldenkey 4y ago
Indeed, I am sorry that happened to you. The reason is that it doesn't fix the root of the problem, eyeball length. Instead, it barbarically carves a lens shape into one's cornea. Here's my comment about all of this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31834633#31860661 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31834633#31860661

boredemployee 4y ago

does the surgery still worth doing for 35+ people?

feintruled 4y ago
Absolutely. The older the better in some cases, as your prescription will change over time. I'm actually starting to get long sighted now as I age.
- prawn 4y ago
  I'm about -2.50 and can function around the house without glasses most of the time - because I almost never wear glasses, I hate wearing them. I wear contacts otherwise and don't find them much of an imposition besides when camping. My main concern is probably eye health given I'm lazy with changing/cleaning contact lenses. At 45yo, should I bother?
  - gjulianm 4y ago
    I have family members that had their operation at around 40 and they say it's worth it. You might get 10 years of no glasses/contact lenses before you need glasses again for presbyopia. I personally had -2.5 too and honestly it's been the best decision I've made.
    - prawn 4y ago
      Am I correct in thinking that the presbyopia is coming regardless, and I'll be able to avoid contacts/glasses for general distance stuff (driving/camping/existing) for a solid length of time? I have a three month camping trip coming up and wondered about trying to get my eyes done before then. Of course, I should've done them back in my 20s, but better late than never.
      - gjulianm 4y ago
        I honestly don't know if it's coming regardless. I'd talk to an ophthalmologist because as usual, it depends. I'd assume that for distance stuff you could avoid any correction, but I'm not sure about that. > I have a three month camping trip coming up and wondered about trying to get my eyes done before then. My recovery took a few days (I had the more invasive procedure due to dry eye concerns) and I think they tell you to not do any activity where your eyes could get damaged during a few weeks just to be sure, so try to plan around that.
        prawn 4y ago
        Thanks for sharing the info - I appreciate it.

feintruled 4y ago

Agreed. For me, it was the coolest living in the future thing imaginable. My eyes were crap, something that in days gone by might have condemned me to the scrapheap, and it got fixed, by science. With a LASER. Just an incredible barometer of progress.

JCharante 4y ago
A blade cutting my eye sounds terrifying though. Did you go completely under?
- feintruled 4y ago
  No, you don't. You get eye drops to anaethetise the eye, that's it. BUT.. it's not as horrible as it sounds. Even this initial cutting of the flap is all done with a automated thing that covers your eye, it's not like some guy sways up to you with a scalpel wobbling in his hand. You don't 'see' anything other than your view being obstructed, you certainly don't feel anything. (There is some discomfort afterwards, but they give you eye drops which work wonders) There is a slight smell of something burning, which is a little disconcerting, I can't lie.
- Vinnl 4y ago
  I had TransPRK, where the experience really just came down to "a light shines in your eye for 20s, then another 20s in the other eye, and you're done". A day of pain afterwards though, which wasn't great. But zero regrets, even on that day. And you have that with LASIK too, though not with LASEK, IIRC.
goldenkey 4y ago
You got lucky if you didn't need follow up surgeries. The most common cause of myopia is eyeball length, which laser eye surgery doesn't address. So folks end up getting their cornea shaved and sculpted up, in a barbaric way (lasers wow!?) and then their eyeball length accommodates and they need the surgery yet again. There's only so much cornea that can be cut away.. in fact, often folks end up with chronic dry eye from the surgeries. The cornea is really not meant to be cut up, it's extremely delicate, and scars and ulcerates easily. Here's my full comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31834633#31860661 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31834633#31860661

alexpetralia 4y ago

Agreed on the LASIK. Huge step-level increase in quality of life.