# Corrective eye surgery **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544 "2006-11-15T16:44:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/1 "2006-11-15T16:44:02Z")
Why shouldn’t every body who can afford it, get it. If you are young enough ,the finances seem clear. Glasses every year or so for a life time is clearly more expensive. The vision is improved after surgery. So why not? fFear ,of someone messing with your headlights? With contacts ,your vision stabilizes. Is it true with eye operations ,or do you have to factor repeated corrections into the equation? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/2 "2006-11-15T16:59:26Z")
Well, for one, not everyone’s eyes are right for the surgery. You have to qualify - and I don’t mean financially. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/3 "2006-11-15T17:09:08Z")
Also, it’s not guaranteed perfect results. Sure, a lot of people have great results and love it, but it’s not without risks. My mother had it done a couple of years ago, and while she can see distances now, she needs reading glasses for close-up. I’m not sure how common this is, but it’s not unheard of. It also comes down to personaly preference. I actually like my glasses and think I look good in them. If my only choice was contacts or surgery, I’d probably get the surgery though, since I found contacts to be a hassle to care for when I had them. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/4 "2006-11-15T17:15:53Z")
A large part of this is the initial outlay is very high for the surgery compared to buying glasses every other year. I put it off for years and I am finally going to get my eyes corrected in January. I was also waiting for the time when I felt the Technology was proven safe and low risk. I reached the conclusion it was safe about three-four years ago. My surgery is going to cost $4800. We set up a medical savings plan for $4800 and so we will at least save taxes, a nice discount. The last 5 years we have had major capitols cost that precluded me from feeling capable spending this kind of cash. I imagine many people are in the same boat or just cannot spend $4800 all at once. There are some cheaper alternatives, but going cheap on eye surgery is a scary concept to me and I am a bargain hunter. Jim ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/5 "2006-11-15T17:27:38Z")
Especially considering how many pairs of glasses $4800 will buy. I could buy a brand new pair of glasses, complete with new frames every year, for the next 12 years, assuming that insurance does not cover any of the cost. And many people don’t buy a completely new pair every year, they just replace the lenses if necessary. Last year, my eye sight changed so little that I didn’t even need new lenses. ---
**Author:** ![tashabot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tashabot/32/6250_2.png) [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/6 "2006-11-15T17:46:23Z")
I know that my eye doctor isn’t recommending laser eye correction until I turn at least 27 - because my eyes are getting worse at a fairly steady rate, and would continue to do so even after lasik. He wants it to stabilize a little bit so I’ll get my money’s worth, so to speak. My eyesight is so bad that without corrective lenses I’m legally blind - so my insurance would cover part of it, and it’s relatively cheap here. Something like a thou an eye. But yeah - not interested yet. My eye doctor has provided me with really good advice in the past, so I’m not about to ignore him. If my vision has stabilized when I turn 27, I’ll go for it. I’m not looking for 20/20; even making my prescription lower would be nice. 20/20 would rock, though - I’ve had glasses since 3rd grade, the idea of not having to have contacts or glasses seems foreign to me. ~Tasha ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/7 "2006-11-15T17:46:49Z")
Cost in Michigan is much lower. In Windsor, Canada they have been at it years longer. They offer for 1500 It is about 2000 in most places around here. They advertise prices of 499 but your prescription wont qualify. Nobodies does. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/8 "2006-11-15T17:48:04Z")
Question: advances continue. What kind is safest and best.?" ---
**Author:** ![iano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@iano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iano)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/9 "2006-11-15T17:52:03Z")
Growing up with glasses and such, I was told to not even bother looking at corrective surgery until I was past 18-20 years old. It is more difficult, risky, and unpredictable to operate on developing eyes, or so I was told. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/10 "2006-11-15T17:52:05Z")
Had mine done in Michigan a year ago for $3100 total and luckily that came from a pre-tax medical spending account. Still pretty steep and the results are not guareenteed. As soon as I got the surgery and people noticed I didn’t have glasses anymore I got more and more people coming up to me and stating that they had had the surgery with horrible results! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![zelie\_zelerton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@zelie\_zelerton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zelie_zelerton)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/11 "2006-11-15T18:05:46Z")
Partly because it’s a fairly recent innovation and a lot of the glasses-wearers I know were waiting to see how it would pan out. Then there’s the initial expense - in the UK corrective surgery is considered non-essential and has to be paid for by the patient. The idea of paying for something medical is a little too ‘out there’ for a lot of people here plus most would have to save from scratch and wouldn’t have any kind of insurance to cover it. Oh yeah, and my employer won’t let me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/12 "2006-11-15T18:23:29Z")
My uncle had this done and his started bleeding for a week and he couldn’t get them to stop. I personally don’t mind my glasses since my eyes aren’t that bad and I just don’t want to risk the surgery. I don’t need to suddenly go blind fifteen years later or something weird like that. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/13 "2006-11-15T18:28:03Z")
I know several people who have had it . This is over several years. Every single one loved it. Is this too small a pool? ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/14 "2006-11-15T18:38:03Z")
[QUOTE=diggleblop] I don’t need to suddenly go blind fifteen years later or something weird like that. [/QUOTE] I opened this thread to say something similar. The docs don’t know yet if there are any long-term side effects. Some patients say they have trouble with glare, for example. What if this sensitivity gets progressively worse over time? There are not enough data yet to answer this question. I’d hate to have this side effect, especially as I’m already finding it difficult to drive at night due to street lights and oncoming headlights. Really, I’d hate to have any of the side effects I hear about… ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/15 "2006-11-15T18:45:51Z")
Someone correct me, if this isn’t correct: I thought that LASIK, etc., corrects your vision NOW, but it doesn’t prevent your eyesight from changing in the future. So, if pre-surgery, your eyes were getting a little worse each year, post-surgery they will continue to get a little worse each year, but just from the new, corrected values. So, in theory, you may still need to wear glasses again in 10 (+ ?) years. Isn’t this correct? J. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/16 "2006-11-15T18:47:39Z")
The idea that you need new glasses every year for the rest of your life is incorrect. Unless the frames break or you just want a new style, you theoretically never “need” new frames. Lenses, I had to get new ones every other year until I was in my 20s. After that I had the same prescription for a couple of decades, until I needed bifocals. Now I again need new lenses (not necessarily frames) about every two or three years. Also, the surgery AFAIK does nothing for presbyopia. So once you pass 40, you will probably need glasses or contacts again anyway. Add to this the fact that, as others have said, many doctors don’t recommend the surgery until some time in your 20s, and the surgery is only going to relieve you of the need for changing lenses during the years you probably won’t need to have them changed very often anyway. To each his/her own; there’s a snowball’s chance in hell I’d let somebody cut or laser my eyes unless it were a life/death situation. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/17 "2006-11-15T19:50:58Z")
[QUOTE=badbadrubberpiggy] Also, it’s not guaranteed perfect results. Sure, a lot of people have great results and love it, but it’s not without risks. [/QUOTE] Yeah, mine went perfectly (only one eye, both now 20/15). A friend had it done on both eyes a few weeks later and both his eyes are much worse. And he needs to get new glasses for his new (worse) prescription. $3600 down the drain for him. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/18 "2006-11-15T20:27:55Z")
Had it done for $650 in Hermosillo, Mexico. American university graduate doctor, modern machinery, good reputation. Yes, that was for _both_ eyes. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/19 "2006-11-15T21:15:17Z")
Had it done when I was 46. They “missed” the desired focal stregth on my left eye so they did it again. I’m 52 now and I’m still thrilled with the results. My vision isn’t perfect but it is very good. I rate it comfortably functional. The process has since improved and they can now correct for astigmatism. I’m debating whether I want to pay for another operation to “tweak” my right eye’s astigmatism. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544/20 "2006-11-15T21:29:18Z")
My vision has been stable for years. Now, when wearing contacts, reading glasses are needed. So I usually just go with glasses, taking them off for close work. (I’ll get some more contacts soon; they’re easy to wear & can be a nice change.) I’ll eventually need cataract surgery, so I’ll let the eyes be for now. I know many folks who swear by their eye surgery. But they were much blinder than I am. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corrective-eye-surgery/380544.md?page=2)