lasik with already dry eyes?

[smb43432]

A little about me..im a 19 year old college student. I've had dry eyes since about 15. I wear glasses about 85 % of the time, putting in my contacts when I go out and what not or for other important functions. Now my parents insurance should cover most of the lasik costs and I will pay the rest if I decide to get it. Since I already have dry eyes there shouldnt be much risk..right? Ive been through all the plugs and all of that already and I just want to be done with glasses and contacts and all that.

Just looking for some solid advice. Also can anyone recommend a doc around NW Ohio?

Is lasik really that risky and is laser better than non laser?

[Aaron77]

http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?t=5244

Eye glasses and contact lenses are much better then my lasik induced dry eye pain, lousy vision and non-stop agony. I had my lasik over one year ago and the suffering has still not ended, not even for a single minute.

[Guest]

http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?t=9127

Well, there are varying degrees of dry eye... since u have it already, LASIK could very well send you from a liveable sort of dry eye straight into dry eye hell... I would stick with glasses if I were you... LASIK has ruined my life - I have the perfect vision I'd always longed for, but can't enjoy it due to severe dry eye...

[mary kenny badami]

To smb: This reply was written with my most sincere concern for your short-term and long-term welfare, as best I understand them. Feel free to PM me if you wish.

Since I already have dry eyes there shouldnt be much risk..right?

My answer: wrong.
Anyone risks either a temporary or a permanent worsening of a pre-existing dry eye situation by having any form of refractive eye surgery. Lots of evidence is available for this.

Is lasik really that risky and is laser better than non laser?

My answer: Yes, lasik is really, really, really, that risky (including variations about how to create a "flap" or remove tissue via laser or non-laser during the first step)
Remember, once a problem happens to you, however small the percentage is quoted per every one hundred people, it becomes your problem, 100%.
Here's a brief version of my post-Lasik dry eye story:
I had Lasik in June 2000 -- after a previous diagnosis of dry eyes, with somewhat ineffective efforts to remediate via eyedrops and punctal plugs.
Over a period of four years several trusted doctors and technicians urged me to have the operation, calling me a "perfect candidate, perfect candidate, perfect candidate" for Lasik;
in retrospect, in my personal opinion, my doctors were ignorant, greedy, and/or lying.

I wish you all the best, I honestly do, whatever you decide, smb.
But if you haven't done so already, please visit our "sister site,"
LaserMyEye, where post-Lasik, post-Lasek, and post-PRK patients congregate not only to share our unhappy experiences but also to share ideas for improving our situations:
http://www.lasermyeye.org/forums/index.php

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi smb,

On DryEyeTalk, this is one of those 'red flags to a bull' type posts. If there's anything people with LASIK dry eye hate more than what they themselves are going through, it's the idea of the next person walking right into the same mess out of the same ignorance of their heightened risk profile. I feel the same way so here's my $0.02.

Since I already have dry eyes there shouldnt be much risk..right?

Nope. Think about it. People who have healthy eyes get dry eyes from LASIK (the percentages are actually astonishingly high). People who have dry eyes may stay the same (the lucky ones), or they may get somewhat worse (the lucky ones), or they may get way, way, way worse. Please read Diana's story before assuming it couldn't happen to you.

I've been through all the plugs and all of that already

If you have already been plugged at your age, you have clinically significant dry eye. Responsible, ethical, medically sound corneal specialist surgeons will not be too keen to do LASIK on you. If they are, I wanna know their name so I can call them and give them a piece of my mind.

and I just want to be done with glasses and contacts and all that.

Heh. If only it were that simple.

Dry eye dramatically decreases the chance of having a good visual outcome from LASIK. So even setting aside any dry eye pain potential, you are much more likely to have regression or at any rate not get the 0 prescription you are looking for. I won't bother going into the age-related reasons not to do it.

Just looking for some solid advice. Also can anyone recommend a doc around NW Ohio?

Anybody that would recommend a surgeon for a dry eyed 19-year-old on this board will probably get hounded off

Is lasik really that risky and is laser better than non laser?

Yes it is, and if you're talking about the flap when you say laser or non laser, for your purposes there's probably not much difference.

[sanna]

A little about me..im a 19 year old college student. I've had dry eyes since about 15. I wear glasses about 85 % of the time, putting in my contacts when I go out and what not or for other important functions. Now my parents insurance should cover most of the lasik costs and I will pay the rest if I decide to get it. Since I already have dry eyes there shouldnt be much risk..right? Ive been through all the plugs and all of that already and I just want to be done with glasses and contacts and all that.

Just looking for some solid advice. Also can anyone recommend a doc around NW Ohio?

Is lasik really that risky and is laser better than non laser?

Do you know why you have dry eyes (you are just 19 )? contact lenses ? or something else ?
I had lasek, before i did not have dry eyes now i do. I have never used contacts and never used any medication that can cause dry eyes (no medication at all). My life now is like, no life at all i have NO social life what so ever and i know when i get old i probably will have more of a problem with dry eyes if there is no cure by than.

I know there is a doctor for you He/she will probably tell you that you are a great canditate, but that is ONLY because he/she wants your money.

I had lasek cause i did not want to use glasses now i am walking around in my sunglasses all the time night and day....

[smb43432]

uhm, my dry eye started after I got an infection from wearing contacts, it came out of no where. I was thinking since I already have dry eye and it doesn't really affect my life all the much, if it gets a little worse it wouldnt affect me all that much. Glasses are just so uncomfortable. I pretty much have my dry eye under control, though I can't wear my contacts everyday like I used to, I can wear them maybe 2 times a week with no problem. I have 1 a days and recommend them.

I will take this all into consideration, and I will still find out how much it will end up costing me, since I am a poor college student. Will lasik never be perfected with the technology we have??

[Rebecca Petris]

There is no way to perfect the process of severing nerves in the most sensitive tissue in the human body.

If you read everything you can and decide you still are determined to do it despite all evidence to the contrary (I thoroughly understand the lure of the idea of ditching glasses & contacts, even if it's a false promise), please, do yourself a favor and get PRK instead of LASIK. The PRK dry eye patients here will no doubt disagree (!) but at least the risk is lower because they are not cutting a stromal flap.

As regards budgeting: As many here will be more than ready to tell you, the cost of lasik is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of treating serious dry eye. No one should get eye surgery if they don't have the budget to deal with the most common complications that can arise.

[Gretchen]

19 years old. Oh dear.

I made many decisions when I was 19 - hitchhiking, a tattoo, bad boy boyfriends - that I now know to have been totally boneheaded and potentially dangerous. However, thank god none of my bad decisions ruined the rest of my life. I so pray that you are wise enough to know when you may not know the best for yourself and listen to the old folks. Because we are right, especially in this case.

Do yourself the favor of reading some of the Lasik stories on here. We are talking about inability to stay in college and/or work, loss of social life and self esteem due to red, bloodshot eyes, no longer being able to enjoy shopping or outdoor sports. FOREVER.

Since you are 19, I am going to appeal to your vanity. If you think that glasses are unattractive, try having flame red, veiny, bloodshot eyes that don't go away. Ask Sanna.

Sorry to be so intense, but don't do this.
Gretchen

[Guest]

Yes, please, please PLEASE read some of the dry eye stories on here... you may be surprised at what's happened to some of us from Lasik...

My Lasik doc told me pre-op that anyone why says Lasik caused severe, life-changing dry eye must have severe dry eye pre-Lasik... he said no-one with normal eyes or well-controlled dry eye will go on to have permanent, disabling dry eye from Lasik... Basically, he gave the impression that anyone claiming that Lasik caused their eyes to become permanently dry is lying... hmmm... well, all I know is that Lasik DID ruin my eyes in terms of dryness, and I'm certainly not lying...

Anyhow, please just spend the money you would have spent on Lasik on an awesome pair of glasses that makes you look absolutely fabulous! The money you would have spent on Lasik will be enough for fabulous pairs of glasses for years to come!

[LasikLady]

I sincerely hope you change your mind about this surgery. I had no pre-existing dry eye that I knew of pre-surgery. I was told I was a great candidate for the surgery. I too wore contacts but with no issues for many years. I wanted to ditch the maintenance involved with them but they did not bother me at all physically. I didn't want to wear glasses either because having something on my face all day bugged me. As I write this to you I am wearing a pair of onion goggles. I have several pair around my house for watching t.v., going on the computer, reading, anything that involves concentrating with my eyes. Oh, and they are a must in the car when heat or air is on. I would wear "normal" glasses in a heart beat to be able to ditch wearing goggles, trust me.

Through several years of learning from this site how to manage my dry eyes I am now comfortable most of the time. But I know if I don't stick to my routines I can become quite uncomfortable again. It's a way of life for me now but my life has been greatly effected just the same. It wasn't worth it. Maybe this won't happen to you. But in my opinion why chance it. You only get one set of eyes. If I had it to do over again NO WAY would I let anyone cut into my perfectly healthy eyeballs.

If you do decide to go through with this, and you do have complications, please know that you can come here and we will help you.

LL

[Keymaker]

As a post PRK patient (Hi Rebecca) I can say that there is a risk, but not as high with PRK. However...it is still there. I am 15 months out and I am still coming out of my dry eye hell. I am now off all medications and waiting to see if I will stay off. Then I can start trying to fix the visual problems I have which are not bad but still bothersome.

So since you are 19 and I am 48...let me give yu a virtual smack upside the head as I would my 20 yr old son and tell you to RUN...do not walk...away from either PRK or LASIK. Listen to Rebecca, SAAG, and Lasiklady and the others. Their situations make mine look like a headcold and yet I almost ended up dead. There will be something better down the road. Do not risk your very life and happiness over this. You have 50 or more years to go. You cannot imagine the horror that might await you. PUT ON YOUR GLASSES!!! I almost made my wife a widow and tore my family apart. Don't let it happen to you.

[03CobraDryEye]

uhm, my dry eye started after I got an infection from wearing contacts, it came out of no where. I was thinking since I already have dry eye and it doesn't really affect my life all the much, if it gets a little worse it wouldnt affect me all that much. Glasses are just so uncomfortable. I pretty much have my dry eye under control, though I can't wear my contacts everyday like I used to, I can wear them maybe 2 times a week with no problem. I have 1 a days and recommend them.

I will take this all into consideration, and I will still find out how much it will end up costing me, since I am a poor college student. Will lasik never be perfected with the technology we have??

Bro...after hearing all the unfortunate dry eye stories on this site related to dry eye you'd have to be nuts to take such a gamble on that procedure, regardless of the perceived benefits. I know if my eyes were healthy I wouldn't gamble on lasik. No way, no how. I wish I could build a time machine for all these folks to go back in time to change their decision.

[smb43432]

dang..i cant imagine having my eyes hurt more than they already do.

[mpca66]

Hold off on lasik if you have dry eyes

I had lasik May 2009 and although it improved my vision greatly (I now see 20/15), I am stuck with mild to moderate dry eye.

I decided to have lasik as I was sick of wearing glasses and couldn't wear contact lenses due to dry eyes. My contact lenses would basically stick to my eyes and I couldn't get them out!

After I had laskik, I suffered with severe dry eye. I can't put into words how debilitating dry eyes can be. You can't 'do' anything - you can't read, watch tv, use the computer without constantly adding drops. I was adding drops every 5 minutes for months. I thought I truly ruined my life.

My eyes are healing, very slowly and now I only have to do drops every 30 to 60 min, but I am totally dependent on eye drops.

Think twice before you let some 'eye doctor' cut into your cornea.

Monica
San Diego