I’m planning on submitting an application for the police force in my city; as one of the steps in the application process I need 20/40 vision uncorrected and 20/20 correct…which after going to the optometrist today I know I do not have.
I’m not worried about any other steps in the application process, and this one is a very unexpected hurdle. I am considering getting LASIK surgery and would like to hear from anyone who went through it (or a similar surgery), or any police applicants for that matter.
My father is an optometrist. He doesn’t stop people from it, but he never encourages that kind of surgery. Usually he has to deal with people wanting only so they can see without contacts or glasses I guess. It’s not all terrible, but there are plenty of risks. I don’t know much about it. I just know he doesn’t encourage it, but that’s just one man’s opinion.
[quote]Eielson wrote:
My father is an optometrist. He doesn’t stop people from it, but he never encourages that kind of surgery. Usually he has to deal with people wanting only so they can see without contacts or glasses I guess. It’s not all terrible, but there are plenty of risks. I don’t know much about it. I just know he doesn’t encourage it, but that’s just one man’s opinion.[/quote]
From what I know, the recovery process for LASIK is relatively painless. PRK recovery, on the other hand, is a good two weeks of suck. My eyes were so sensitive. I felt like a vampire. I wore sunglasses in my house, with the shades/curtains closed and I was still in pain.
Despite all of that, I would do it again. It was worth the discomfort.
One thing I will ad about the recovery process - do everything the doctor tells you to, right down to the letter. I had a couple of acquaintances/friends who didn’t follow post op recovery (ie using eye drops and taking large doses of vitamin C) and their eyes didn’t heal like they should have.
I’m sure others will agree with me though, you will not regret having the procedure done.
I got it 2 years ago when I had 20/40 vision. I now have 20/15 vision. IT WAS THE BEST MONEY I HAVE EVER SPENT!
Research the doctors and try to speak to anyone who has gone to the doctor you have narrowed it down to. As the old addage says “you get what you pay for” so don’t cheap out. In the long run the cost of contacts or new glasses every couple of years will even out over the course of a lifetime compared to the upfront cost of LASIK.
[quote]Eielson wrote:
My father is an optometrist. He doesn’t stop people from it, but he never encourages that kind of surgery. Usually he has to deal with people wanting only so they can see without contacts or glasses I guess. It’s not all terrible, but there are plenty of risks. I don’t know much about it. I just know he doesn’t encourage it, but that’s just one man’s opinion.[/quote]
I had PRK done so it is a little different that LASIK, but I was told that there was little to no risk in having the procedure done.
[quote]Ryan906 wrote:
I got it 2 years ago when I had 20/40 vision. I now have 20/15 vision. IT WAS THE BEST MONEY I HAVE EVER SPENT!
Research the doctors and try to speak to anyone who has gone to the doctor you have narrowed it down to. As the old addage says “you get what you pay for” so don’t cheap out. In the long run the cost of contacts or new glasses every couple of years will even out over the course of a lifetime compared to the upfront cost of LASIK.
[/quote]
[quote]Eielson wrote:
My father is an optometrist. He doesn’t stop people from it, but he never encourages that kind of surgery. Usually he has to deal with people wanting only so they can see without contacts or glasses I guess. It’s not all terrible, but there are plenty of risks. I don’t know much about it. I just know he doesn’t encourage it, but that’s just one man’s opinion.[/quote]
Of course not. It eats into his business.[/quote]
Really? You think that’s why? The guy is one of the most popular in the area, and is booked up for months. He’s so busy it stresses him out. I don’t think he’s too worried about losing business.
Also, this is what he tells his son, and everybody in the family for that matter. There is not much profit to be made from his family. Guess again.
First off, I’d check with the department you plan on applying to… Here where I am, they won’t accept you if you have the laser treatment that cuts the cornea flap, lifts it up and then lasers you… They will accept you ONLY if you do the one (more expensive) that doesn’t cut the cornea…
I’ve never had it done, but I’m starting to think about it as I’m 40 in a few days and I think I’m starting to need bi-focals, so we’ll see…
I do know a pile of people that have had it done with various side effects…
One of the guys I work with, has to wear sunglasses whenever he’s outside, no matter if it’s sunny or cloudy…
The worst case is another guy I used to work with who had the cornea flap surgery… He was walking across a crosswalk months later and the “flap” opened up and flapped out on him… Nasty…
Another buddy of mine has to carry a pocket flashlight with him all the time, for when he’s trying to read the numbers on a LAN plate (we put identity numbers on our LAN plates), he needs to hit it with the flashlight so he can read it…
I also read a magazine article several years back about a professional cyclist who had it done and it screwed up his vision completely… Has to wear dark glasses that nearly block all light, all day long. Has to pretty much stay inside his house with the blinds drawn all day long and only venture outside after dark…
But those are extreme cases that I’m aware of…
I also know dozens of people that have no side effects whatsoever…
I heard (and probably Eielson’s dad could confirm) that this surgery was first practiced in Russia, but with scalpels (not lasers) as the cost of glasses (at the time) was far more expensive…
[quote]Smallfry69 wrote:
First off, I’d check with the department you plan on applying to… Here where I am, they won’t accept you if you have the laser treatment that cuts the cornea flap, lifts it up and then lasers you… They will accept you ONLY if you do the one (more expensive) that doesn’t cut the cornea…
I’ve never had it done, but I’m starting to think about it as I’m 40 in a few days and I think I’m starting to need bi-focals, so we’ll see…
I do know a pile of people that have had it done with various side effects…
One of the guys I work with, has to wear sunglasses whenever he’s outside, no matter if it’s sunny or cloudy…
The worst case is another guy I used to work with who had the cornea flap surgery… He was walking across a crosswalk months later and the “flap” opened up and flapped out on him… Nasty…
Another buddy of mine has to carry a pocket flashlight with him all the time, for when he’s trying to read the numbers on a LAN plate (we put identity numbers on our LAN plates), he needs to hit it with the flashlight so he can read it…
I also read a magazine article several years back about a professional cyclist who had it done and it screwed up his vision completely… Has to wear dark glasses that nearly block all light, all day long. Has to pretty much stay inside his house with the blinds drawn all day long and only venture outside after dark…
But those are extreme cases that I’m aware of…
I also know dozens of people that have no side effects whatsoever…
I heard (and probably Eielson’s dad could confirm) that this surge
ry was first practiced in Russia, but with scalpels (not lasers) as the cost of glasses (at the time) was far more expensive…[/quote]
My step dad is a Navy SEAL so i know quite a few SEAL guys and may of them (including my stepdad) had to get Laser eye surgery and everyone ive talked to has said the same thing. They all love it and could never go back to wearing glasses or contacts again. I say if money isnt a big problem, go for it.
My optometrist in Nova Scotia told me today that since my prescription had changed (last time I went to see her was 2006) I should wait another year to ensure my prescription stabilizes before I look into surgery. This didn’t sound accurate to me so I did some research and can find little information to back up her recommendations. I’m going in to see another optomitrist in Edmonton when I get home for a second opinion.
For the record my prescription is as follows:
OD (right eye): -4.75
OS (left eye): -3.25
Which is considered low to mild myopia (nearsightedness).
I did call the recruiting department and I would need to have 20/40 uncorrected and 20/20 corrected for my application to be considered. I plan on appliying in March/April so I would need to start working on this right away.
[quote]audiogarden1 wrote:
My step dad is a Navy SEAL so i know quite a few SEAL guys and may of them (including my stepdad) had to get Laser eye surgery and everyone ive talked to has said the same thing. They all love it and could never go back to wearing glasses or contacts again. I say if money isnt a big problem, go for it. [/quote]
Money’s always an issue as a student and a personal trainer, but I look at this as investing in my future; I can’t let something like this derail my goals.
What type of surgery did your step dad get?, any issues, is his vision still 20/20? I’m definitely looking forward to not depending on corrective lenses (I hate feeling blind when I wake up) but policing is 90% of the reason I’d get the surgery…I probably wouldn’t consider it for another 5 years or so if I didn’t have to.
I think the meta analysis below puts the results into perspective:
“A meta-analysis dated March 2008 performed by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery over 3,000 peer-reviewed articles published over the past 10 years in clinical journals from around the world, including 19 studies comprising 2,200 patients that looked directly at satisfaction, revealed a 95.4 percent patient satisfaction rate among LASIK patients worldwide.”
I’ve also read the risk of developing adverse effects is greater when wearing contact lenses then from laser eye surgery.
I really don’t understand why this is not covered by insurance. I have astigmatism, which is proven to be correctable by wavefront lasik. I can see fine both near and far, big and small, it’s just that everything is slightly blurry.
I was a paratrooper in the 82nd airborne for a few years, and wearing glasses while doing that was not ideal.
I eventually ended up getting the opportunity to get lazer eye surgery while I was still active duty, so I did it. It was the best thing I ever did!
They gave us PRK surgery, which is not the same as LASIK. I’m not going to waste your time by explaining the differences here, but look it up. I was told that PRK is “stronger,” whatever that means, and thats why they gave it to us idiots who jumped out of planes. It sucked ass for the first 5-6 days (recovery for PRK is longer than LASIK, but it heals stronger), but it got my vision to 20/15 and 20/20.
I was only 21 when I had that done, and 7 years later it’s still good. My eyes are not as sharp as they were the first couple of years, I admit, but I probably had it when I was too young. I don’t need glasses though, and I used to have horrible ass vision. It was definately worth it for me, I’m glad I did it!
Ladar Lasik over six years ago… corrected to 20/13 in both eyes… no regression as of yet… no nighttime halos or glare… and no “Sands of the Sahara” (aka Sporadic DLK) either… best five grand I ever spent.