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elepita
Aug 29, 2005, 7:19 AM
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Hi all, I have decided to get eye laser surgery to get rid of my contacts and glasses, and I was wondering if any of you have got it, and if so, whether it did affect your climbing mountaneering activities in any negative way, as in very cold conditions, high altitude, etc. I am a bit nervous about the surgery affecting my climbing, so any info would be highly appreciated. Thanks!
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justhavefun
Aug 29, 2005, 8:08 PM
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You may have more trouble with depth perception in low light. Think walkoffs when you're on the rock later than you expected, or night climbing. Other than that, your vision will take some time to settle down. Mine took almost a year. Other people have recovered in less time.
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angelaa
Aug 29, 2005, 8:17 PM
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I had eye surgery many moons ago and have climbed a few mountains since then and the only problem that I have experienced is a little more sensitivity to light = that is all. Not a big deal. . . I just always wear Shades 8^)
I have noticed no depth perception issues, no weird effects from altitude nothing. . .
Don't let all the wives tails about how mountaineers can't handle the altitude after eye surgery scare you.
As far as all the documentation I've seen (sorry I cannot notate my sources, as I haven't researched it lately) they cannot definitively say that eye surgery has caused any eye issues at altitude . . . . if so you'd probably see more people on airplanes, skiers and people living in Leadville Colorado having issues !
Go for it . . . believe me it's a million times better than glasses !!!
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decorahhughes
Aug 29, 2005, 8:27 PM
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I had LASIK back in 2002. It takes quite a bit of time for your vision to get back to 'normal'. Figure about 8 weeks until you can focus well and another 6 months until you are comfortable with it. Takes about a full year for the scars to heal. Put in lots of eye drops and I think it heals faster.
I find my vision is better outdoors in natural light. I hate flourescent lights. Drive me insane. And I can't say I've noticed any depth-perception problems. At night, I have halos and star bursts, but no worse than before (probably worse than most people since I had terrible vision).
On those notes - I love my LASIK. I have found that I need to wear sunglasses more often. Not only to protect my eyes from a slightly brighter sun, but they are more sensitive to things getting in them. Dust, rock bits, bugs, etc are a lot more painful now. Get a nice pair of clear sunglasses and that solves the problem.
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bandycoot
Aug 29, 2005, 9:22 PM
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I'm not sure how easy it is to find old articles from Climbing or Rock and Ice, but one of the two magazines had a pretty good article on the issue. After reading it I had no worries. The article was a few years ago.
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lewisiarediviva
Aug 29, 2005, 9:28 PM
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I'm planning to go through with the procedure next spring. My doctor told me that some people notice a little halo around the edge of their vision for a while, but contact wearer's are not bothered by it because it's the same sort of halo you have with contacts. He told me it is safer to have the surgery than to wear any kind of contact while sleeping- thus the main reason for my decision.
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pipsqueekspire
Aug 30, 2005, 4:54 AM
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So here is my 2 cents
over 1:1000 people have WORSE vision after surgery and many people complain of halos. Personaly I dont think it is a great idea. Why have elective surgery on your eyes that has a high risk. (1:1000 is high risk for something so vital imho)
At high altitiude your eyes are starved for oxygen. They have no blood supply on the cornea and get all of their O2 directly from the atmosphere. When you scar your eyes to change the shape the scar tissue absorbs O2 less efficiently, the old RK method (like Beck Weathers had) caused worse scarring but LASIK is essentialy the same concept but with less scarring. There have been reports of temporary blindness due to LASIK at high altitudes (were talking 25,000 and up) but it is less common than with the old RK. Not a huge risk for most people
But the most convincing evidence against it for me...
EVERY opthomologist (ones not involved in selling LASIK) I have talked to (and I talk to a lot in med school) has said that the side effects if you get any are a disaster. It was strongly suggested that I forget all about LASIK since the long term risks are still unknown and the immediate risks are way too high. I took this seriously and refuse to get it. They jokinglly said they like LASIK because they get a lot of extra business trying to correct the errors from "LASIK quacks". If you decide to go ahead I wish you the best of luck and do some hard core research into the risks and find a good Doc. Try starting with uptodate or web MD to search.
-pip
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crotch
Aug 30, 2005, 5:09 AM
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In reply to: When you scar your eyes to change the shape the scar tissue absorbs O2 less efficiently, the old RK method (like Beck Weathers had) caused worse scarring but LASIK is essentialy the same concept but with less scarring.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that RK involved changing the shape of the cornea via making multiple incisions, whereas LASIK is about ablating the cornea.
It was my understanding that the visual changes associated with RK and altitude/diving were attributed to the structural weakness introduced by the multiple incisions used in RK which subsequently allow the cornea to change shape with increasing or decreasing atmospheric pressure regardless of pO2.
In reply to: There have been reports of temporary blindness due to LASIK at high altitudes (were talking 25,000 and up) but it is less common than with the old RK. Not a huge risk for most people
Can you point me to any references?
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clovissprout
Aug 30, 2005, 5:50 AM
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I'm a certified ophthalmic assistant and had the procedure myself about 5-6 years ago now. It is true that there are risks, as there are with any surgery. But these risks are really relatively low. What are the stats for gastric bypass? 1-3 in 100 have serious issues. If 1 in 1000 were true you are way better off. I know that for my doctor we've never had any truely serious side effects/adverse effects and he's a leading FDA investigator (he's done a LOT). We had a patient who hit the water while water skiing or something with their eyes wide open after having lasik. He ended up with a detatched retina but the lasik flaps were untouched.
The instability of RK incisions does have to do with their structural integrity. The corneal RK incisions are cut in a radial pattern varying from 4 to 8 cuts. These cuts never completely "heal." The outer layer of the cornea grows over them essentially healing but not totally. The cuts are still there and the potential for them to change is high. RK was good in its day but tends to be unstable and vary for these reasons. (ie high altitude)
The ablation in lasik and nature of the cut are infinitely more stable. I am unaware of any high altitude side effects. MANY studies have been done to determine these and it should be noted the FAA and i think airforce now accept pilots who've had LASIK. They fly at extreme altitudes and always run a risk of decompression up there. These two large bodies accept that as a risk and have determined that the "wound" is stable enough to be safe. Just be aware of the risks when you sign up. THe goal isn't to make you be without correction. its to reduce your dependency on correction. it usually works. sometimes it doesn't. But by all means, if you get the chance, do it. It's awesome!
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kcrag
Aug 30, 2005, 6:24 AM
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Hola elepita!
First off, if you're trying to get medical information from this website, understand that it's mostly opinions and not necessarily facts. You're on the right track, though, asking for information/opinions from people that have had the surgery. Narrow it down to people in your area and find a good doctor.
The topic of corrective eye surgery has been around on this site before and you can get past information by entering "lasik" in the search box above.
Here's my opinion, having had lasik in 2002... it's incredible! Do your research and find a doctor in your area with the best reputation. Ask for referrals and talk to their patients. In my experience, I had no problems and have no regrets.
Buena suerte -kelly.
Just one sidenote: If you do have the surgery, one person told me something that was really helpful... prepare your bedroom for sleep before you come home from the procedure. This means black out the windows, as your eyes may be really light sensitive. That was really helpful to me because my eyes were very sensitive for several hours.
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elepita
Aug 30, 2005, 7:27 AM
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Hi all! Well thank you for all your comments and information :D I did research before and talked to people who had had LASIK done, and they ALL loved it. But I wanted to get opinions from climbers, so thanks! I went to my doctor, they made a study of my eyes (cornea, glaucoma, etc) and they told me that I meet all the requirements for LASIK, so I am having my operation on Thursday the 8th! I am very excited about it, well it is a mixture of excitement and anxiety...I guess everybody got nervous about it. I asked the doctor whether it is comparable to having your wisdom teeth removed and he laughted at me saying it was way less painful, so that makes me feel better. I have worn glasses since I was 5 and I am 27 now, I have worn contacts since I was 14 and lately had a lot of problems with them, dryness, redness, itchyness, so my doctor told me it was time for LASIK if I wanted it, and since I HATE my glasses, I am going for it. Besides all your comments have made me feel more convinced about the operation. I will post something after it and let you all know how it went. In the meantime, please keep your stories and advices coming, they are really helpful. oh! and I red as well the posts from 2002, although I would like to think that doctors know now more about LASIK than 3 years ago. Thanks to all again!
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damon99
Aug 30, 2005, 7:56 AM
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oh hell no.. nbody cuts open my eyeball!
I thought about getting it, but the whole idea of my eye being numbed, cut open, and being in uncomfort for 6 months (plus money) doesn't really gets me excited. I wear gasses, and contacts while climbing. no problem or hassle.. but its up to you..
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lewisiarediviva
Aug 31, 2005, 1:19 AM
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In reply to: EVERY opthomologist (ones not involved in selling LASIK) I have talked to (and I talk to a lot in med school) has said that the side effects if you get any are a disaster. -pip
I've talked with a lot of people who have had the surgery and they all love. I even talked to a few who had some of the side effects, but they were normal side effects that are delt with.
Beck Weathers, it's my understanding that he didn't tell his doctor about the up comming trip, and left town before he should have. But that's just what I've heard.
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walrus
Aug 31, 2005, 7:21 AM
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In reply to: Beck Weathers, it's my understanding that he didn't tell his doctor about the up comming trip, and left town before he should have. But that's just what I've heard. |
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hudubious
Aug 31, 2005, 10:39 AM
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Lots of good info on this site:
http://www.tradgirl.com/...q/training.htm#laser
But again its the internet...they sound like they know what they're talking about but who knows what thier background is.
Btw i had Lasik about 2 years ago and i love it.
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gat
Aug 31, 2005, 1:23 PM
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I also know some people who have had it done and love it.
However, I talked with my eye doctor he advised strongly against it for the following reason - He put it to me this way "Are you willing to trade your perfect near sighted vision for good far sighted vision?". I said "Hell no, but what does my near sighted vision have to do with it?" He warned that my near sighted vision would likely be far worse with age if I had LASIK vs. not having LASIK. He put it this way - I can expect some loss of near sighted vision with age. If I have LASIK, I could expect SIGNIFICANT loss of near sighted vision; example: need glasses to do any daily task that required near vision.
Remember, my near vision is really good. If yours is not, then it's not a compromise at all.
Has anyone else heard this warning?
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jcshaggy
Aug 31, 2005, 1:40 PM
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Check out the following article:
http://www.planetfear.com/article_detail.asp?a_id=512
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lewisiarediviva
Sep 1, 2005, 2:23 AM
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Just a point I forgot to mention.
The same doctor who fully agreed with me that this was a good idea. . . told my husband not to do it. I'm almost blind. My husband can see almost perfectly. Thus the reasoning.
If my husband wears polarized sunglasses on the glacier he can see just fine on it. Me on the other hand, well I'm in the crevasse.
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coclimber26
Sep 1, 2005, 2:41 AM
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I have had the surgury and have had no climbing related ill-effects. My eyesight is 20/15 and can still read books with ease. I'm told that in 10 to 15 years I will need glasses to read with but I'm fine with that..
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elepita
Sep 12, 2005, 2:06 PM
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Hi all, I am the one who started this forum. I finally had my Lasik done, 4 days ago, and so far I am really happy. I have not been checked by my oftalmologist yet (it will happen today after work) so I cannot say that I have 20/20 vision and she tests me today, but I can say that I can see pretty good, as good as I could with my contact lenses. After the surgery I could not see really well and light bothered me a lot, but the day after when I woke up I could see very well, I was even able to drive that day, when it was getting dark already. My vision has been getting better yesterday and today, I drove to work today and had no problems. Light does bother me a bit but not more than it did already before. I do notice dryness in my eyes, not tons though, I have been told that it will go better. I am using lots of eye drops, I have been told that your eyes heal better if you do. What else? I notice some halos at night around street lights, but they are getting better and they are minor, they donīt bother me. Car lights do not bother me so far. For the rest, the operation was very short and painless, just a bit uncomfortable bc of all the eye drops they put in your eyes and those things they use to keep your eyes open. I spent only 2 hours in the clinic and I was home, I went to sleep and the morning after I could see, it was amazing! Thanks to all for the advices and info, if anyone would like more specific info, please PM me. Cheers! Elena
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