mnealtx 0 #26 December 4, 2008 Quotehell will freeze over before I get LASIK. PRK I'd put some serious thought to What are the advantages/disadvantages of one over the other, in your professional opinion? I only have astigmatism, right eye .75 and left eye .5 - no near/far-sightedness corrections. I'm planning on contacts once the left eye hits .75 but will still need reading glasses (dammit).Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peregrinerose 0 #27 December 4, 2008 The drawback with polycarb in prescriptions above about +/- 3 is that optically they are horrible. Poly is technically a liquid, which is why it doesn't shatter. However, because it is technically a liquid, it's optical properties are horrid. Keep your head straight and look far left/right. If you look at a light source, you can see it break up into rainbows... a little reddish on one side a little greenish on the other. That's chromatic aberration and very common with polycarb. You'll also notice that straight edges warp and distort. Night vision tends to not be as good. It's great for safety, sucks for everything else. A 1.67 or 1.74 high index plastic costs more on the surface, but it also comes with a very high quality antireflective and scratch coat (which you have to pay about $100 extra for on Poly), it is optically much better, and quite a bit thinner, so you get a lot more for your money. There's no reason not to have 2 pairs of glasses... one Poly for sports (use an older Rx or older frame), and use the newer frame that the insurance covers for a nice pair of high index lenses. Yes, you'll pay more, but you'll also SEE more. If you're nearsighted, the smaller the lens size you get, the thinner the lenses will be too, so keep that in mind. Yes, you may pay, even with insurance $150 or so for high index (depends on your insurance), but that's 7 jump tickets, 7 dinners out to eat, 1 visit to a hair dresser or a host of other things that are fairly easy to stagger a little more and prioritize. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peregrinerose 0 #28 December 4, 2008 Quote Quote hell will freeze over before I get LASIK. PRK I'd put some serious thought to What are the advantages/disadvantages of one over the other, in your professional opinion? I only have astigmatism, right eye .75 and left eye .5 - no near/far-sightedness corrections. I'm planning on contacts once the left eye hits .75 but will still need reading glasses (dammit). You'd be nuts to do surgery with that kind of Rx... no ethical surgeon would touch you... that kind of refraction is pretty common AFTER surgery But pros/cons: LASIK Pro: Relatively painless, vision almost immediately very good and stays stable from about day 2. LASIK Con: That flap never heals to 100% integrity and there is, at least 20 years out (no research beyond that yet) the chance of problems if a kid scratches your cornea, car accident, etc of serious issues, reduced tear film for the rest of your life. PRK Pro: Cheaper, no flap (so long term, probably safer), better tear film integrity since corneal nerves are not severed. PRK Con: The first 1-2 weeks is like having corneal abrasions in both eyes simultaneously and vision will vary as the cornea heals up. After that 2 weeks, visual results are the same as LASIK though. Less surgeons do it because LASIK pays much more, so they all push LASIK. Both Pro: REDUCTION on need for glasses/contacts (NOT eliminated) Both Con: At 40ish, still need readers, often need glasses for night driving within a few years post op, halos at night in people with bigger pupils due to the interface of surgified and not surgified cornea. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #29 December 4, 2008 Thanks for the info, Doc - as I said, I'm looking at contacts once the left eye hits the .75 minimum. Currently I'm in progressives for normal wear/reading and single vision sunglasses with the astigmatism correction. I was only considering any sort of surgery for the future if my vision deteriorates.Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #30 December 4, 2008 Quote As a result, corneas are extremely slow to heal. In about 3 months you have probably 75% of the original strength of the cornea. In 20 years, you still don't have full corneal integrity, which means if a wayward fist hits your goggles/eye in freefall, your flap will dislocate, even 20 years after surgery. That's why enhancement procedures are so easy.. even as far as 18 years later (per the research), they don't need to re-cut the cornea, they just flip back the flap and re-zap. Just because you got away with it doesn't mean it's a good idea. This is a surgical procedure.... a very good one, but one with very real consequences that can be permanently disabling if you don't understand what can happen. That is exactly why I'd consider PRK but not LASIK. That flap is scary, especially because I do karate, where getting hit in the face is a very real possibility. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #31 December 4, 2008 QuoteThe drawback with polycarb in prescriptions above about +/- 3 is that optically they are horrible. Poly is technically a liquid, which is why it doesn't shatter. However, because it is technically a liquid, it's optical properties are horrid. Keep your head straight and look far left/right. If you look at a light source, you can see it break up into rainbows... a little reddish on one side a little greenish on the other. That's chromatic aberration and very common with polycarb. You'll also notice that straight edges warp and distort. Night vision tends to not be as good. It's great for safety, sucks for everything else. A 1.67 or 1.74 high index plastic costs more on the surface, but it also comes with a very high quality antireflective and scratch coat (which you have to pay about $100 extra for on Poly), it is optically much better, and quite a bit thinner, so you get a lot more for your money. That's what my eye doc said, but my insurance covers the $100 for the anti reflective coat on poly or plastic, so that's not an out-of-pocket expense for me, and I've never had lenses made out of anything but poly in my life so I don't know the difference... I'm honestly a bit afraid to order high index, because it's so much more money and I'm afraid I'll decide I can't live without it because its so much better, and I'll be stuck paying an extra $150 every year forever. I think you've convinced me to try it this time, though, and I'll keep my current pair of poly glasses for karate and the shooting range. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peregrinerose 0 #32 December 4, 2008 I do have one pair in poly for the gun range too Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #33 December 4, 2008 Is there a way to get a scratch out of poly? i had a kimber eject brass straight at my face, and it hit the right lens and left a C shaped mark on the lens right in my line of sight, and it's driving me nuts! Can they do anything, or do I have to replace the lens? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peregrinerose 0 #34 December 4, 2008 Nope, once a lens is scratched you can't do anything about it without changing the Rx or making the lens unsafely thin in buffing it out. That's the problem with Poly, because it's a liquid, it is very very soft and scratches more easily than other materials, even with the scratch coats. How old is the lens? Our practice policy is one replacement of lenses and frames within 2 years.... even if you run it over with the car, as long as you bring us pieces, we'll replace once in that time. I'd check with the place you got the glasses, it may still be under warranty and replaced at no charge. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildcard451 0 #35 December 4, 2008 Well, I can't say anything about it that Jen has not already covered. The first few hours are pretty miserable, but I was ok about 5 hours after surgery, Still a little dry this morning, but that's to be expected. I was -5.75 OS -6.50 OD prior to the procedure, this morning I am 20/25-1 OS 20/20 OD with a little blurriness cause by the dry eye. As for up and jumping in goggles in a few days....well, it's already been covered how dumb of an idea that is, so I won't rehash that here. All in all, very happy with it so far, but I have yet to drve at night. We'll see how that goes tonight. Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. /B/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peregrinerose 0 #36 December 4, 2008 Congrats! Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madhatter 0 #37 December 4, 2008 Quote Quote As a result, corneas are extremely slow to heal. In about 3 months you have probably 75% of the original strength of the cornea. In 20 years, you still don't have full corneal integrity, which means if a wayward fist hits your goggles/eye in freefall, your flap will dislocate, even 20 years after surgery. That's why enhancement procedures are so easy.. even as far as 18 years later (per the research), they don't need to re-cut the cornea, they just flip back the flap and re-zap. Just because you got away with it doesn't mean it's a good idea. This is a surgical procedure.... a very good one, but one with very real consequences that can be permanently disabling if you don't understand what can happen. That is exactly why I'd consider PRK but not LASIK. That flap is scary, especially because I do karate, where getting hit in the face is a very real possibility. Point taken, I shouldn't advocate being rash. I spoke to my surgeon before I started jumping and his main concerns were: 1. Is there any 'real' airflow directly across the eyeball whilst in freefall? answer - no, but there is the possibilty should the goggles don't seat well or move during the dive. 2. Is there considerable shock involved, eg. during opening? answer - At the time I was jumping a canopy that consistently had my CI questioning my opening altitude. My openings lasted 800+ foot... So - no big shocks. As for getting hit in the head, I had a serious motor vehicle accident 2 years after my surgery, hooked myself in (hard enough to fracture 2 vertebrae) 4 years after the surgery &, luckily, my eyes are still fine. IMHO jumping with normal eye protection after lasik shouldn't be a big risk, but then I might've just been lucky up till now C'est la vie...A VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! D.S # 125 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildcard451 0 #38 December 4, 2008 Quote IMHO jumping with normal eye protection after lasik shouldn't be a big risk, but then I might've just been lucky up till now C'est la vie... Well, in the past I have several times had enough airflow through various goggles to suck a contact off my eye while tracking or freeflying.....therefore.... I ain't riskin it. Glad you have had no issues. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madhatter 0 #39 December 4, 2008 Glad you've had such good results! Ain't it fun when you can actually see you're toes in detail whilst having shower!? Have fun & be safe A VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! D.S # 125 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #40 December 4, 2008 ok i dontk now your financials but you are a lawyer, i can not see where you could not find the money over a year to fund decent specs. you eyes are a top priority. the difference from Poly C to HI lenes is marked. (they are my highest health priority)You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #41 December 5, 2008 Yeah, but when you've never known the difference and what you've got now seems to work just fine, is it really worth the switch to something that costs more? Edit: and do you have any clue what law school costs?? I had more disposable income when I was in school than I do now with the student loans and the mortgage. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #42 December 5, 2008 Quote Yeah, but when you've never known the difference and what you've got now seems to work just fine, is it really worth the switch to something that costs more? Edit: and do you have any clue what law school costs?? I had more disposable income when I was in school than I do now with the student loans and the mortgage. Is it worth the switch YES, very much so. As i said my eye sight is my biggest health prority so even if i was flat broke i'd find a way to get my specsdont forget i am a teacher so it's not like I earn a shitload eitherYou are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
