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**Guest** · 04-Apr-2007, 06:15

Jennifer,

I am not the right person to be asking this question.

What can I advise you? Don't even consider it. Sure there are various success rates quoted some as high as 98%, but someone still has to be the 2% are you prepared to take that risk, knowing what I know now, there is absolutely no way that I would go anywhere near a refractive surgeon.

You have mentioned that you have dry eyes already, I didn't and I chose epi-Lasek because it WAS supposed to be the better for dry eyes anyway, and my clinic recommends it over Lasik because there are fewer risks.

My dry eyes started pretty much after my bandage lenses were removed, I remember experiencing my first abrasion a day or two later and these have continued in varying forms since then. Sometimes they result in vision disturbance from several days to several weeks. However, the dryness seemed to get much worse at around 3 months and continues today in one form or another.

It is not just the dryness I have a problem with, my nighttime vision can be just frightening with all of the ghosting, halos, starburts and induced astigmatism. Now, I am unsuitable for contact lenses because of the reshaping of my cornea, so glasses ARE my only option from now on.

Like the things that you listed I took for granted, just imagine this being taken away from you, for example I wouldn't dream of going swimming and getting water in my eyes, having a shower is an experience in itself.

I have significantly reduced my hours at work (I can't sit in front of a computer for hours on end like I used to) very difficult when this IS your job.

When you reduce hours, you reduce income, you reduce lifestyle, you reduce your social life and all of this is added on top of the stress of having to deal with constant irritation in your eyes. I can assure you that there have been many a dark day when I just wanted to give up - and this is not my nature - I love life and used to live it to the full (better to wear out than rust out WAS my motto).

It would be totally irresponsible of my to say go ahead with the surgery based on my experience, sure there are lots of success stories, they can't predict how you will come through it.

It is a decision that you have to make, but it I were in your shoes, I would be running away from the refractive surgeon faster than a cheetah on steroids.

Cheers

Ian

**Rebecca Petris** · 04-Apr-2007, 07:25

Hi Jennifer and welcome.

I've moved your post into the Open Forum since it's your first, hope you don't mind.

**indrep** · 04-Apr-2007, 10:51

Because you already have a compromised tear film your surgical wounds will not likely recieve the nutrients nor corneal glycogens the cornea needs to properly heal.

Unfortunately this not a procedure you can have then decide later to "undo".

I would think long and hard before having it and then if I decided to have the procedure I would sit down and think some more; maybe 15-20 years.

**dianat** · 04-Apr-2007, 14:36

check this out:

http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?t=53

Dianat

**Rebecca Petris** · 04-Apr-2007, 15:03

Jennifer,

It's unusual and a matter for concern that you have dry eyes at your age. My advice would be to set aside any thoughts of any eye surgery at least until you get to the bottom of your dry eye problem and get it fully treated.

There is great risk for people like you because the allure of laser surgery is strong and there are all too many clinics and even highlyl reputable surgeons willing to laser people even if they display signs of existing dry eye.

While dry eye remains by far the #1 complaint following laser surgery even for those who had NO preexisting symptoms or risk for factors for it, the industry standards are still badly failing (in my opinion) to screen people carefully and to ensure that people with existing dry eye thoroughly understand the potential severity of the risks imposed. Of course it's true that many people do just fine - even many people with pre-existing dry eye. But if you're here, I assume it's because you want to learn about the potential downside. Diana and Ian are compelling examples of what LASIK and Epi LASIK respectively can do.

**shells** · 05-Apr-2007, 06:26

Hi Jennifer,

I strongly agree with what everyone has said already. I couldn't wear contacts comfortable and had my lasik at age 25. It's been almost 2 years since that, and I've had severe dry eye ever since. I can't even begin to explain how it has changed my life. I think the others have already done a pretty good job of explaining how it can though.

I was very active, and the main reason that I wanted to have the lasik is so that I would not have to wear my glasses during volleyball or during working out. Between the depression and the dry eye after lasik, I completely stopped working out and volleyball wasn't much fun either. I couldn't tolerate the fans in the gym or the dry air, playing outside wasn't much fun either with the sun and the dust floating around. For quite some time, the dryness caused blurry vision, and it was hard to concentrate. Not to mention the other 90% of my life that was done perfectly happy and comfortably in glasses. Since lasik, all of that has been a struggle as well. I've come a long way in two years, and although I still do most of the things that I enjoyed before, it just isn't as easy at it used to be, and my eyes hurt often.

If your main concern is swimming then I would suggest you look into other options there. Maybe there are some other goggles out there that would work better for you, but I would really think long and hard about doing something permanent like surgery. Maybe if you found some treatments for the dry eye, you could even wear your contacts during swimming when you needed to. Good luck, and I hope you find something that works for you.

-Shells

**Jennifer** · 08-Apr-2007, 16:48

Thank you

Hi everyone

Hope you're all well. I was completely touched by how many people posted with regards to my thread, firstly thank you, all advice and comments are more than welcome and much appreciated. I have been hot flanneling for two months and cod liver oiling the same amount of time. My dry eyes have improved a little in that time but I think from having read what I have, they would be worse after surgery. Glasses are part of me that's not my issue, it's that prescription goggles give me headaches (used to manage lenses in the pool but they dry and I hate them so I don't wear lenses anymore) and I've never been able to see my team at the other end but having read all the posts from such kind people taking time out to advise me, I feel lucky to have found this site and such strong people in the first place.

I feel like right now I will not be going ahead, I'll be on here anyway for my standard DES if that's okay... Just to ask though, can surgeons predict how your eyes will recover if you explain you have dry eye anyway?

Any recommendations as to what helps tear break up? I use viscotears and clarymist spray (I've always had sticky eyes especially with daily chlorine doses!) and any recommendations as to other items that work for standard dry eye would be very welcome.

Once again thank you and enjoy your chocolate

Jennifer

**Jennifer** · 08-Apr-2007, 16:57

Just to add

It's very difficult to express over a laptop how much I admire and sympathise with you all as I have dry eyes myself and I hope non of you think bad of me for considering this treatment after everything you all go through, I always want to go into anything knowing all the facts hence why I am liasing with you and looking for different solutions

Jennifer

**Guest** · 08-Apr-2007, 18:02

Originally posted by Jennifer

It's very difficult to express over a laptop how much I admire and sympathise with you all as I have dry eyes myself and I hope non of you think bad of me for considering this treatment after everything you all go through, I always want to go into anything knowing all the facts hence why I am liasing with you and looking for different solutions

Jennifer

Jennifer

None of us think bad of you for considering this treatment. I could learn to live with my laser result if I didn't end up with dry eyes.

I just wish that I found this site before my surgery, but we have to play the cards that we are dealt.

I have worn corrective lenses since I was 14 years old and at 35 made the decision that enough was enough and even though I had the presobia (??sp) just around the corner, I wanted a few years to be without glasses, I never dreamed for 1 moment that dry eyes would result.

I don't think there is a surgeon in the world that would be willing to put their professional career on the line and predict how you will come out. Whilst there is some degree of sciene involved at the end of the day, your eyes are unique and the result CANNOT be predicted.

I respect your courage to ask the questions and whilst it is never my intention to put someone off the possibility of being a "laser success case", in my opinion you present with a pre-existing condition of dry eyes and I certainly would not be prepared to take a risk given the personal challenges that I have faced in the past 18 months since my surgery.

I wish you well and if you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask. All we can do is provide you guidance and information based on our own experiences.

Ian

**dianat** · 08-Apr-2007, 18:36

Jennifer,

I am grateful that you've made the decision not to proceed with the surgery. Your question as to whether or not a doc can predict your outcome is a good one. This is the real problem with the industry. It's marketed as a quick, miraculous fix. Many, many people have good outcomes.

However, there is something really missing in the screening process. I should have never had the surgery and I did in fact warn my surgeon of my contact lens intolerance prior to surgery. Still, judging by my outcome he should have never qualified me for the surgery.

My present opinion with any unnecesary surgery is to never let anybody cut into healthy tissue. There are always risks. Unforunately, I have to live the rest of my life with this lousy, life-altering outcome. The only bright side is continuing my rather unsatisfactory manageable state and hoping something better comes along. I would not wish this on anybody.

Diana

**Jennifer** · 09-Apr-2007, 06:26

Not worth it

Good afternoon all

Thanks for your posts today guys, everyone is so supportive, means a lot to me. It just does not seem worth it at all, not confident I would be cool after surgery and therefore I will not risk it as the fact I am like you Diana - intolerant to contacts - means my eyes would probably dry out even more. All your advice has been so good for me. My sister had epi lasek and no problems however she doesn't have DES brought on by swimming on contact lens wear and in general that's just me therefore everyone's eyes are different and the sensible option is to expect to be the 2% especially with my history. Does anyone know anywhere that does prescription goggles that cater for different eye prescriptions in England? Can't deal with the Headaches anymore...

Thanks again and will pop on as always

Have a good day people

Jennifer

**Guest** · 09-Apr-2007, 12:18

Jennifer

Can't help you with an optician that does goggles, maybe you could ask your local optician, the other option may be to check with Edinburgh Eye Clinic as they seem to do a little work with dry eyes.

Take care, I think you have made a courageous decision but the right one for you.

Best wishes

Ian

**sazy123** · 10-Apr-2007, 11:03

sensible option is to expect to be the 2% especially with my history

Just wanted to say that it is likely that the 2% is the bottom end of the real statistic when you take in to account the people who get dry eye months or years after the surgery and therefore are not included in the 'statistics'.

I read somewhere 1% is the major complications and dry eye is not seen as major, this was for lasik anyway.

**dianat** · 10-Apr-2007, 11:15

I'm not included in any statistic. My LASIK surgeon thinks I'm just fine. (Unless of course he's a lurker.)

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