Laser eye surgery for golf

[Socrates]

9 hours ago, Righty to Lefty said:

I am not buying that there is a such thing as "good" LASIK doctor especially in this day and age.  The procedure literally took 15 mins total and the doctor does nothing but put the things in your eyes that hold them open, put the the thing over your eye that makes the incision, and then hold your head when the laser starts to do its thing. There is absolutely nothing to it and the machine is doing all of the work.  I had mine done in Kuwait by a U.S. trained doctor for $750 total.  I mean who is out there getting bootleg LASIK training then buying or leasing a 200 to 400k machine to perform the procedure?  I had the procedure done at 9 pm at night and was on the golf course the next morning at 6 am with no pain whatsoever.  I have heard that the more procedures that the machine has done, the more post procedure discomfort you will likely have but I'm sure everyone will have their own experience. Yes it is your vision, but this procedure is not new anymore and it shouldn't cost 3k per eye anymore like it used to in the early days.  

I'm sure there are good doctors and bad doctors.  Get a poor doctor who might have equipment that is not up to par and you are going to likely have problems.  

 

As far as the cost goes, the money it took that doctor to get that skill and credentials is far greater now that it was in the early days.  And the equipment they use is far more expensive to buy.  Plus all the overhead (rent, staff, insurance, etc...).  So I wouldn't be thinking that the surgery is going to be cheaper that it used to be.  

 

Same reason I charge more for club work than I did 15 years ago.  I gained skill and experience and bought a bunch of expensive tools and pieces.  Someone is going to pay for my expertise and tools I use to do the job.  I'm not charging someone $1.50 for a reshaft because that's all the ferrule and the epoxy cost. 

[Trap Junior]

Has anyone on here regretted it or found it made them worse?

 

Reason I ask is the girl at the clinic said that if they correct my long distance vision it might make my short distance vision worse.

 

Another thing.  I picked up my new prescription glasses today from the opticians.  The moment I put them on they felt awful.  I felt like I was drunk and dizzy and the floor was much closer to me.  My depth perception was all over the place.  They said give it a few days but after putting them on for a while I had to take them off as felt uneasy with them and unwell.  If that happens with the laser surgery it would be a disaster.

 

[Socrates]

2 hours ago, Trap Junior said:

Has anyone on here regretted it or found it made them worse?

 

Reason I ask is the girl at the clinic said that if they correct my long distance vision it might make my short distance vision worse.

 

Another thing.  I picked up my new prescription glasses today from the opticians.  The moment I put them on they felt awful.  I felt like I was drunk and dizzy and the floor was much closer to me.  My depth perception was all over the place.  They said give it a few days but after putting them on for a while I had to take them off as felt uneasy with them and unwell.  If that happens with the laser surgery it would be a disaster.

 

Go back and make sure the prescription matches the glasses.   Did they screw around with a different base curve or get the optical center wrong or get the Left and Right mixed up?  Stuff happens.

 

If it's a big difference from the last prescription, there can be adaptation problems early on.  Make them re-do the exam and make sure it was correct (if you got the glasses from the people that did the exam).

Edited January 18, 2022 by Socrates

[nsxguy]

1 hour ago, Trap Junior said:

Has anyone on here regretted it or found it made them worse?

 

Reason I ask is the girl at the clinic said that if they correct my long distance vision it might make my short distance vision worse.

 

Another thing.  I picked up my new prescription glasses today from the opticians.  The moment I put them on they felt awful.  I felt like I was drunk and dizzy and the floor was much closer to me.  My depth perception was all over the place.  They said give it a few days but after putting them on for a while I had to take them off as felt uneasy with them and unwell.  If that happens with the laser surgery it would be a disaster.

 

 

My friend, I'd normally say you're worrying too much and you should just forget about it. But it's your EYES and as you yourself point out, Lasik *might* end up with you having poorer vision than before.

 

That said, that's a highly unlikely outcome for a good candidate.

 

But your vision has apparently been much worse than normal for quite a while and wearing glasses sometimes while driving ain't cutting it. That's why you're here.

 

You're having trouble seeing signs that somebody with a fair bit less than 20/20 vision should be at least able to at least read, if not clearly.

 

Seems to me you've needed glasses for a long time now and are darn near blind without them. So you HAVE to do something.

 

These glasses you've just gotten gives you 20/20(?) vision and you're simply not used to seeing clearly. That in itself, can make you uncomfortable, dizzy, whatever.

 

Try doing what the experts(?) are telling you to do and give the glasses some time. Wear 'em for a little while each day to start with and, as you get used to them, increase the time you wear them. See if you adapt. It may come fairly quickly.

 

But either way you MUST see an eye doctor, an ophthalmologist, and ask him/her. And in the meantime read all you can about Lasik.

Edited January 18, 2022 by nsxguy

[Forged4life]

On 1/13/2022 at 1:48 AM, Righty to Lefty said:

Lasik is awesome...that is all!! Just kidding I had Lasik some years ago and was playing golf within 8 hours of getting it. Yes there is an adjustment period when you go from not being able to track a ball in flight to seeing everything in high definition again but the body will adjust quickly.  Your depth perception will not likely be the same as for me the ground appeared to be "closer to my face" and it is amazing how hard your body has to work when your vision is compromised and you will at least be seeing at 20/20 after the surgery and so that will mean your depth perception will change for sure.  If you can't track a ball from start to finish then I don't think you realize how bad your vision truly is and your expectations are much too low. Your vision will be sharp and crisp afterwards.  It is so worth it though and I am very happy that I got it done as it only took about 15 mins total but it is a game changer procedure in my opinion.  

Definitely not “nothing to it” lol  it’s your sight. Don’t go to the lowest price as you get what you pay for IMO 

[Socrates]

1 hour ago, nsxguy said:

 

These glasses you've just gotten gives you 20/20(?) vision and you're simply not used to seeing clearly. That in itself, can make you uncomfortable, dizzy, whatever.

 

Try doing what the experts(?) are telling you to do and give the glasses some time. Wear 'em for a little while each day to start with and, as you get used to them, increase the time you wear them. See if you adapt. It may come fairly quickly.

Definitely.  A few years ago we switched my lenses from Essilor to Hoya as the Essilor’s were crazing in hot temps.  Nothing changed except the lens maker.  Took me several days to get used to the new lenses. 
 

When switch from contacts to my progressive’s and I go outside, it takes me a bit to get used to the difference.  It’s a little disorienting until my brain adjusts to the glasses.  You’ve got quite a lot more to adjust to. 

[MK7Golf21]

Tiger has had it done twice 

[Trap Junior]

I might be wrong but I got a dilated eye exam at the clinic where they ascertain whether you are a candidate for laser surgery.  I think she was an opthamologist but not 100% sure.

 

TBH I didnt even know there was a difference between optometrist and opthamologist.

 

All I was told was I have dry eyes and do nightly heat patch treatment and drink more water

[Nels55]

I had cataract surgery on my left eye yesterday and the world is much brighter place now!  I had my right eye done last year and I am glad to have that over with!  LOL I seemed to have forgotten what it was like and I had a little problem and tried to close my eye when they first brought the laser down to do the incision to get the lens out but they did a reset and everything went well after that.

 

For the OP I asked my surgeon about dry eyes and she said that it has absolutely no effect on the surgery but could effect the recovery process.  I spent a fair amount of money on dry eye treatments prior to surgery and it looks like my outcomes have been as good as could be expected so chicken soup I guess.  Fixing the dry eye problem definitely makes it easier to spend time on the computer or read and so on so I think it was worth it all in all.

[tcbringhurst]

On 1/16/2022 at 1:00 AM, Righty to Lefty said:

I am not buying that there is a such thing as "good" LASIK doctor especially in this day and age.  The procedure literally took 15 mins total and the doctor does nothing but put the things in your eyes that hold them open, put the the thing over your eye that makes the incision, and then hold your head when the laser starts to do its thing. There is absolutely nothing to it and the machine is doing all of the work.  I had mine done in Kuwait by a U.S. trained doctor for $750 total.  I mean who is out there getting bootleg LASIK training then buying or leasing a 200 to 400k machine to perform the procedure?  I had the procedure done at 9 pm at night and was on the golf course the next morning at 6 am with no pain whatsoever.  I have heard that the more procedures that the machine has done, the more post procedure discomfort you will likely have but I'm sure everyone will have their own experience. Yes it is your vision, but this procedure is not new anymore and it shouldn't cost 3k per eye anymore like it used to in the early days.  

Depends on how high end the machine is. The best ones track eye movement during the laser procedure. Older ones don’t, and that’s where you’ll get issues where the results isn’t ideal

[tcbringhurst]

Fourth year optometry student here. I interned at an ophthalmology practice. It’s common to have an optometrist do the initial LASIK/PRK consult as well as the post-op care since the ophthalmologists would rather spend their time doing surgeries.
 

The most common side effect of LASIK is dry eye, and it would be irresponsible to do LASIK on someone suffering from dry eyes. When they create the flap for LASIK, some of the corneal nerves are severed, making it difficult for the body to judge if it needs to produce more tears or not. 
 

PRK is not as invasive as LASIK but the recovery time is much longer (could be a whole month in some cases). 

[Nels55]

14 minutes ago, tcbringhurst said:

Fourth year optometry student here. I interned at an ophthalmology practice. It’s common to have an optometrist do the initial LASIK/PRK consult as well as the post-op care since the ophthalmologists would rather spend their time doing surgeries.
 

The most common side effect of LASIK is dry eye, and it would be irresponsible to do LASIK on someone suffering from dry eyes. When they create the flap for LASIK, some of the corneal nerves are severed, making it difficult for the body to judge if it needs to produce more tears or not. 
 

PRK is not as invasive as LASIK but the recovery time is much longer (could be a whole month in some cases). 

I had PRK done in 2007 and it was more then a month for my eyes to settle.  Closer to 3 months I believe.  I was around -8 with astigmatism of 1.5 and 2.5.  I was not a candidate for Lasik as my corneas are too thin.  After the cataract surgeries my vision is pretty good with a tiny bit of astigmatism in the right eye that I had done last year and probably will be about the same in the left eye that was done yesterday. 

 

Knowing what I know now if I could go back and do it over I would not do the PRK but would find the money to do the lens replacement instead as that most likely would have provided a really good and stable correction.  That said I am quite happy with my vision at this point!  LOL it was a miracle to be able to see right around 20 20 for about 7 years after the original surgery.  I still quite often wake up in the morning and think how happy I am to be able to see without glasses!  

 

The last 4 or 5 years my vision has been drifting a lot and I have only been able to see really well for a few months at a time after getting a new prescription for my golf glasses.  LOL such is life!  At any rate I am really happy to have prospects for steady and decent vision for a while!  

[Righty to Lefty]

4 hours ago, tcbringhurst said:

Depends on how high end the machine is. The best ones track eye movement during the laser procedure. Older ones don’t, and that’s where you’ll get issues where the results isn’t ideal

I had heard this and I believe that is partly why I had such and easy time when I had mine done.  I would imagine that you being in that field would quickly get pretty bored performing LASIK all day because the machine is doing the work and you aren't really developing your craft.  I am currently in the middle east and our surgeons make double what they make in the states but they might get to do one surgery per year and so they hate it because they went through hell to become a surgeon and they aren't performing their craft so they always leave after their one year is up despite the financial gain. 

[phil75070]

I had cataract surgery on both eyes in January, two weeks apart. The Laser was used before the surgery to break up the cataract and, in the case of the right eye, to make a small incision to correct my minor astigmatism in that eye. During the laser treatment, a "cup" of some type was placed over my eye to keep me from moving it. I am sure the pre-surgical drops which numb the eye also help remove the urge to blink. I was instructed to stare at the light, and it was a really neat light show of flashing reds and greens. Then into the operating room where the surgeon removes all of the cataract debris and inserts the new artificial lens.

 

I had LASIK well over 20 years ago and kept reading how important it was to know how much correction was done by that procedure when having cataract surgery. It is one of the reasons I went back to the people who did my LASIK, but they don't keep records that long. However, my ophthalmologist told me they've come a long way with how they measure all the parameters of the eye, even using two different systems from different manufacturers to validate the measurements. Also, he said the formulas used to determine the strength of the IOL to be implanted have also improved over time. He told me even if he had the information from the LASIK procedure, he probably wouldn't use it.

 

Other than some floaters and a mild case of dry eye in my right eye, improving day by day, I could not be happier with the result. What drove me to have my cataracts evaluated was driving in the dark and being literally blinded by oncoming headlights, especially the newer ones and particularly on trucks. I went with an Extended Depth of Focus IOL (Vivity by Alcon) which gives me near perfect distance and mid-range vision and serviceable close-up vision though I need readers for fine print. This lens has an advantage over typical multifocal lenses in regard to night driving as it uses different technology and headlights only have a halo about them but not the blinding glare. I don't notice a big change in colors other than how bright and truly whites are now.

 

 

[tcbringhurst]

5 hours ago, Righty to Lefty said:

I had heard this and I believe that is partly why I had such and easy time when I had mine done.  I would imagine that you being in that field would quickly get pretty bored performing LASIK all day because the machine is doing the work and you aren't really developing your craft.  I am currently in the middle east and our surgeons make double what they make in the states but they might get to do one surgery per year and so they hate it because they went through hell to become a surgeon and they aren't performing their craft so they always leave after their one year is up despite the financial gain. 

The surgeon I shadowed looked like he was having the time of his life. He was all smiles with his patients and seemed to really enjoy it. He also does cataract surgeries too so it’s not strictly LASIK that he’s doing. I’m sure that factors into him not getting bored or burnt out

[tcbringhurst]

2 hours ago, phil75070 said:

I had cataract surgery on both eyes in January, two weeks apart. The Laser was used before the surgery to break up the cataract and, in the case of the right eye, to make a small incision to correct my minor astigmatism in that eye. During the laser treatment, a "cup" of some type was placed over my eye to keep me from moving it. I am sure the pre-surgical drops which numb the eye also help remove the urge to blink. I was instructed to stare at the light, and it was a really neat light show of flashing reds and greens. Then into the operating room where the surgeon removes all of the cataract debris and inserts the new artificial lens.

 

I had LASIK well over 20 years ago and kept reading how important it was to know how much correction was done by that procedure when having cataract surgery. It is one of the reasons I went back to the people who did my LASIK, but they don't keep records that long. However, my ophthalmologist told me they've come a long way with how they measure all the parameters of the eye, even using two different systems from different manufacturers to validate the measurements. Also, he said the formulas used to determine the strength of the IOL to be implanted have also improved over time. He told me even if he had the information from the LASIK procedure, he probably wouldn't use it.

 

Other than some floaters and a mild case of dry eye in my right eye, improving day by day, I could not be happier with the result. What drove me to have my cataracts evaluated was driving in the dark and being literally blinded by oncoming headlights, especially the newer ones and particularly on trucks. I went with an Extended Depth of Focus IOL (Vivity by Alcon) which gives me near perfect distance and mid-range vision and serviceable close-up vision though I need readers for fine print. This lens has an advantage over typical multifocal lenses in regard to night driving as it uses different technology and headlights only have a halo about them but not the blinding glare. I don't notice a big change in colors other than how bright and truly whites are now.

 

 

Those multifocal IOLs are hit and miss for patients; they either love them or hate them. I’m glad it’s working out for you, and I’m sure there was a period of adaptation with them after your surgery. 

[tcbringhurst]

6 hours ago, Righty to Lefty said:

I had heard this and I believe that is partly why I had such and easy time when I had mine done.  I would imagine that you being in that field would quickly get pretty bored performing LASIK all day because the machine is doing the work and you aren't really developing your craft.  I am currently in the middle east and our surgeons make double what they make in the states but they might get to do one surgery per year and so they hate it because they went through hell to become a surgeon and they aren't performing their craft so they always leave after their one year is up despite the financial gain. 

I will also add that optometry in the USA has a much bigger scope of practice compared to other countries. Optometrists abroad are nothing more than glorified opticians, and I’m sure that has a factor in how your ophthalmologist felt about working abroad

[Trap Junior]

I didn't bother getting it done.  I improved my dry eyes tot he point where they wer ebetter but still not enough for Lasik and so I would need MPK.  I didnt like the sounds of the recovery time and pain she said Iw ould be in.  She said I would be 2 days in bed with a pillow over my face because my eyes would be very sensitive to light.

I also had a really bad experience when I got new glasses recently.  I felt physically nauseous as everything felt very high definition and I felt dizzy. 

I had to go back to the opticians to change them and they are still not comfortable to wear.  I then started thinking if this is what I would feel like with laser corrected vision and I just said no thanks.

 

The other things that put me off were he said I would become short sighted and need glasses to read after the surgery which I currently dont need.

 

My eyesight is not great but I can put up with not seeing the ball with my driver for now.  If my eyesight gets noticably worse I may consider it again.

 

 

[phil75070]

59 minutes ago, tcbringhurst said:

Those multifocal IOLs are hit and miss for patients; they either love them or hate them. I’m glad it’s working out for you, and I’m sure there was a period of adaptation with them after your surgery. 

The adaptation period was really very short, just a couple of days as the swelling subsided. The Vivity lens that was recommended and I chose uses a "Wavefront Shaping" technology which is why the driving in the dark is considered better than traditional multifocal IOLs that use rings.

[phil75070]

3 minutes ago, Trap Junior said:

The other things that put me off were he said I would become short sighted and need glasses to read after the surgery which I currently dont need.

I don't know about PRK but getting LASIK at age 50 or so at the time was great for correcting for distance but did increase the need for reading glasses. I didn't mind that trade-off personally.

[Mcgeeno]

On 1/12/2022 at 3:29 PM, Forged4life said:

I had lasik last year at 49 because could not track ball. It has been the best decision I’ve made. I do have to wear readers now but that’s mainly from age. I can see the ball better, read the greens better and have zero negatives. Depth perception not an issue. I have no haloing and am at 20/15 now. Kind of a miracle. 

 

This has been my experience as well.

 

Got lasik done in April of 2021 and it was better than I could have imagined. I track the ball better, read greens better, dont have to worry about my glasses or lenses or cleaning anything.

 

It was cheap for me with my medical coverage and it was super fast and easy. 

 

One of the best decisions I've ever made.

[phil75070]

For anyone getting to a point where cataract surgery may be needed or desirable, here is a great article about the Vivity lens that was used with me. Very expensive but having perhaps the best eyesight of my life (except for really close up) is worth it to me.

 

Vivity: Alcon's First 'Extended Depth Of Focus' IOL (bestcataractsurgeons.com)

[nsxguy]

On 2/25/2022 at 11:13 AM, Trap Junior said:

I didn't bother getting it done.  I improved my dry eyes tot he point where they wer ebetter but still not enough for Lasik and so I would need MPK.  I didnt like the sounds of the recovery time and pain she said Iw ould be in.  She said I would be 2 days in bed with a pillow over my face because my eyes would be very sensitive to light.

I also had a really bad experience when I got new glasses recently.  I felt physically nauseous as everything felt very high definition and I felt dizzy. 

I had to go back to the opticians to change them and they are still not comfortable to wear.  I then started thinking if this is what I would feel like with laser corrected vision and I just said no thanks.

 

The other things that put me off were he said I would become short sighted and need glasses to read after the surgery which I currently dont need.

 

My eyesight is not great but I can put up with not seeing the ball with my driver for now.  If my eyesight gets noticably worse I may consider it again.

 

 

 

Re-reading your posts it seems clear now, if it wasn't already, you weren't going to go for it.

 

No biggie; after all, it IS your eyes and I, for one, totally understand the issues messin' around with 'em.

 

At some point in the not-too-distant future you won't be able to see near OR far and will need bifocals.

 

See ya then. Be well. 

[phil75070]

I had LASIK done around 1997 or 1998. Being around 50 at the time, it was great for distance but increased the need for readers for close up work. LASIK is theoretically permanent but as one ages the eyes do change and somewhere down the road after my LASIK, I needed to sharpen my vision and started wearing bifocals and even progressive lenses more recently prior to my cataract surgery.

 

Here is a good article on the longevity of LASIK correction:

 

How Long Does LASIK Last? - Refractive Surgery Council (americanrefractivesurgerycouncil.org)

[Redpro]

I'm 72 and just recently had cataract surgery and new lens replacements in both eyes. I now can see the ball land and bounce with the driver! Everything is so bright and clear now. My optometrist tracked my vision and cataracts the last three years, and took regular pictures of my eyes. He then recommended an ophthalmologist and eye surgeon for an evaluation.

 

At the evaluation they took many measurements and pictures and I had a very extensive vision test. When I saw the surgeon at the end of the evaluation, he had all the data and pictures in front of him and made three recommendations for me.

 

I chose the expensive recommendation; cataract removal and lens replacement so that I would not need glasses. After the first eye was done, the next week the doctor asked me how my vision was. I did have a vision test the day before so that updated data was available to the surgeon in order to make a refractive adjustment in the second eye to balance things out. The lens was Vivity by Alcon, made in Ft. Worth, TX (I live in Plano TX). He had, in stock, a variety of those lenses with different focal whiz-bang I-don't-know-how-to-describe-it refraction grades. He selected the one he thought was best for me and it worked perfectly. 

 

The surgeries were one week apart and I can tell you that it was a miracle of technology. The surgery took 5 minutes tops for each eye. I am using eye drops; anti-inflammatory, steroid, and anti-bacterial for 4 weeks and am in my last week. My vision is fantastic and I was cleared for golf this week! I played yesterday and it was great. I have always worn Maui Jim's for golf, great lenses. I sent the three pair back to Maui (Peoria, IL) for regular non-prescription lenses to be installed and got them in 7 days, all looking brand new. 

 

So, I'd recommend seeing an ophthalmologist and surgery center for a comprehensive evaluation and go from there.