Lasik and contacts

[Iceburner 0]

So i did a search for lasik to see what you all had to say about the procedure and time it takes before you can jump again, but i had another question involving lasik and contacts. As i have been told, you are not supposed to wear soft contacts for at least 2 weeks before the surgery, and i dug a bit and found out it has something to do with the contacts affecting the shape/size of the cornea or something like that (as you can tell, i am NOT an eye doctor)...I'm supposed to have the pre-op in about 3 weeks....my wedding is next week...and i really dont want to be wearing glasses for the wedding....so for the medical professionals that jump, would it affect my eyes to wear the contacts for 1 day? I was thinking about not wearing contacts or glasses, but yea....just wondering how much a day or less with contacts would affect the eyes.

[drdive 0]

Uh - ask your eye Dr., not a bunch of skydivers!! If I remember before my Lasik, they wanted me out of contacts for 4 to 6 weeks. You want your eyes to have regained their natural shape before the final Lasik measurement so it gives you an accurate correction.

Seriously, give your Lasik provider a call and ask him/her but I expect they will tell you to not wear the contacts.

"We saved your gear. Now you can sell it when you get out of the hospital and upsize!!" "K-Dub"

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[blkhwk91b 0]

Wear your glasses but take them off for the pictures. No harm no foul.


LASIK = best money I ever spent. Did it 6 years ago, still 20/15 both eyes.

(Individual results may vary. Do not attempt at home. The people in this film are professionals. Professional drivers on a closed course...................)

"Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way." - Alan Watts

[Andy0689 0]

Had mine done in 2002 and am thankful just about everyday for it. I wore semi-rigid contacts and had to be out of them for 6 weeks prior to my eval and surgery.

Would you really want to take the chance that it'll affect your eyes for one day in contacts? Ask your doc and see what he says. If it's that important, put the surgery off so you can wear contacts for the wedding. What's another week delay unless it's real hard to get an appointment.

Andy
I'll believe it when I see it on YouTube!

[peregrinerose 0]

Do a search for Peregrinerose and LASIK, you'll find a ton of information. And I am an eye doctor.

Sounds like you planned poorly regarding wedding and LASIK pre-op. Why don't you just move the pre-op back a few weeks, then you can wear your contacts for the wedding and still be out of them at least two weeks for the procedure? It's not like LASIK surgeons are going any where or the procedure is required immediately.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[jim_32766 0]

I wore gas permeable contact lenses and had to stop using them more than an month before the final pre-lasik measurements were taken. I wouldn't risk the effectiveness of the lasik procedure by cheating on the amount of time without the lenses. Either wear glasses to the wedding, and remove them for pictures, or move back the pre-op measurements.

It also takes a fair amount of time for your eyes to reach their final state post lasik. Be ready for some fluctuations in vision until that healing is totally complete.

Best wishes on the wedding and on the new vision!

The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

[Iceburner 0]

Obviously this will depend on the doctor and the healing, but how long were you all out of skydiving after lasik?? Reason i'm asking is i was just out of it for a LONG time due to deployment, finally got back in the sky, and am thinking about moving my lasik procedure just for jumping...but, if it's only a month or so, then it's all good. I've determined to wear glasses and then just take them off for pictures, was what i was planning, but yea, figured i'd ask and see what everyone else had to say....heaven forbid i listen to doctors afterall, skydivers know everything right??

[jim_32766 0]

I had lasik a couple of years before getting into skydiving, so I really don't know the answer to your question regarding time away from the sport. I do remember not being able to fly for a few weeks. I had to get an acceptable test read from the surgeon and provide it to an aviation medical examiner prior to being cleared to exercise piloting privileges. I also remember being told no contact sports for a while, but it wasn't a very long period.

This is all pretty vague and probably not much help. The end results have all been very worth the hassle! I am sure you will love your new vision!

The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

[peregrinerose 0]

First, I AM an eye doctor.

Second... minimum of 2 months no jumping, and be very freaking careful after that. The flap never heals back to 100%. If you are smart, you'll do PRK instead... cheaper, safer, and back to jumping quicker as there's no flap to heal. Please do a search for my name and LASIK to save me lots of typing and then ask questions here or PM me.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[blkhwk91b 0]

Quote

First, I AM an eye doctor.

Second... minimum of 2 months no jumping, and be very freaking careful after that. The flap never heals back to 100%. If you are smart, you'll do PRK instead... cheaper, safer, and back to jumping quicker as there's no flap to heal. Please do a search for my name and LASIK to save me lots of typing and then ask questions here or PM me.

I would be weary of any proclaimed (or real doc) on the internet that would recommend a specific procedure without the benefit of a physical exam and in-depth consultation about your specific needs and physiological circumstances.I personally find it irresponsible for anyone, doc or not, to make statements such as "If you are smart, you'll do PRK instead.", without seeing you one on one. Maybe PRK is the solution for you, maybe not.

No disrespect to peregrinerose, but go see your Doc in person to get the low-down.

"Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way." - Alan Watts

[jtnesbitt 0]

Quote

First, I AM an eye doctor.

Second... minimum of 2 months no jumping, and be very freaking careful after that. The flap never heals back to 100%. If you are smart, you'll do PRK instead... cheaper, safer, and back to jumping quicker as there's no flap to heal. Please do a search for my name and LASIK to save me lots of typing and then ask questions here or PM me.

+1

I had LASEK (notice the E its an entirely different operation than LASIK) last July and couldn't be happier. I did my own research and did LOTS. Peregrinerose is a great resource as he is an eye doctor AND a jumper. We had many conversations about my reaearch and my options.

Healing time and how long to wait to jump is where everyone's opinions seemed different. I was told as little as 3 days and as much as 3 months. Ultimately it depends on which type of surgery and your body's own progress. Personally, i made a base jump 11 days after my own surgery but i don't recommend that. (We had a statewide contest going on.) That being said i waited almost a full month to make a skydive as I was more concerned about the terminal force of the air bothering my eyes than i was the shock of base jumping. (No "flap" with LASEK.)

You might want to do a bit more research if you are considering LASIK. LASEK and PRK are great options as well. I went with LASEK because it didnt have quite as long healing time as PRK and its a better surgery than LASIK. While i am VERY happy with my surgery if i did it all over again i would have opted for PRK. You only get one set of eyes after all and although the healing time is longer the results are typically the best and most permanent.

Again, this is just my thoughts and experiences. Speak to peregrinerose and as many other qualified people you can. Medical opinions are just that, opinions, so you need to get as many as you can to make your own well informed decision.

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[jtnesbitt 0]

Quote

Quote

First, I AM an eye doctor.

Second... minimum of 2 months no jumping, and be very freaking careful after that. The flap never heals back to 100%. If you are smart, you'll do PRK instead... cheaper, safer, and back to jumping quicker as there's no flap to heal. Please do a search for my name and LASIK to save me lots of typing and then ask questions here or PM me.

I would be weary of any proclaimed (or real doc) on the internet that would recommend a specific procedure without the benefit of a physical exam and in-depth consultation about your specific needs and physiological circumstances.I personally find it irresponsible for anyone, doc or not, to make statements such as "If you are smart, you'll do PRK instead.", without seeing you one on one. Maybe PRK is the solution for you, maybe not.

No disrespect to peregrinerose, but go see your Doc in person to get the low-down.

I understand what you are saying...but int his situation it is ok.

It's because the OP only has 3 options. LASIK, LASEK, or PRK.

LASIK is not really the best option for skydivers or extreme sports athletes. You can do some research on your own to determine why. LASEK is a type of PRK surgery where they save the sub-epithelium instead of burning it off. (Increases heal time.) These are better options as there is no "flap."

This has ALL been talked about in great detail before and a simple search by YOU or the OP for anything along the lines of "LASIK" "eye surgery" or "peregrinerose" would have turned up LOTS of information.

Not bashing you, but you might want to do your own research before you discredit someone who does in fact know what they are talking about. Again, in general your point stands, but in this situation it's different.

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[blkhwk91b 0]

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Not bashing you, but you might want to do your own research before you discredit someone who does in fact know what they are talking about. Again, in general your point stands, but in this situation it's different.

You assume a lot not knowing anything about me or or my background. If you read my post you can easily see that I am not bashing peregrinerose's expertise, or his knowledge on the subject. peregrinerose may be a hell of a doc for all I know.

What I do have a problem with, is a doctor on the internet telling someone they are dumb for not choosing a specific procedure while not knowing anything about the person or having the benefit of an exam that would aid in a treatment plan.

"If you are smart, you'll do PRK instead."

"Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way." - Alan Watts

[SSHusky 0]

I did PRK this past January, and as far as I was told its a longer heal time. I have heard of stories of those doing Lasik, had perfect eyesight in less than a day. I was required to take a week off work. My PRK took about 2 weeks to get perfect eyesight and it was very painful EVERY day. My doctor assured me that it was normal and that I was a pretty quick healer at one week. I planned my PRK so that I had plenty of time to heal before skydiving... now 2.5 months later, I am still not completely healed. I am sensitive to light (its difficult to see a skydiver under canopy when facing the sun), and I am also sensitive to wind (when I am sitting next to the open door without goggles on, I have to shut my eyes). Honestly you should have done a bit more research on this.
My doctor recommended PRK for me, bc the shape of my eye. That being said I enjoy waking up in the morning and actually being able to see. I went from -2400 to 20:15 vision in about a month.
There are good things and bad things about choosing PRK vs Lasik, but I think that should be discussed with your doctor. If I had a choice, I would have picked Lasik, bc of the heal time... but it may not be for everyone.

[peregrinerose 0]

LASIK does NOT have a faster heal time. LASIK never heals to 100%.... it only feels better faster. Just because something feels better doesn't mean that it is in reality 'better.' PRK is much safer in that there is no flap, so 100% healing is possible with PRK. A lot of docs are actually moving away from LASIK/LASEK and going back to PRK as the long term safety profile is much better. There's some interesting research going on now with corneal crosslinking that may have some fascinating (and safer than all present procedures) refractive surgery implications.

Which is better, to feel better faster, or to long-term have a structurally more secure cornea?

Oh... I am definitely a 'she', not a 'he' I'm perfectly ok with someone question my ability to say that overall PRK is a safer procedure than LASIK from a long term stance.... questions are good. That's what drives science and research. Fortunately, at this moment, the science says that PRK probably is the better procedure. Unfortunately, most patients do not make smart decisions based on research, but go for the quick fixes promoted in advertising. I've seen some very seriouly messed up corneas as a result.... not all refractive surgeons have high ethics.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[jim_32766 0]

If I remember correctly my research and discussions with my eye surgeon, there are some limitations regarding the amount of refractive correction needed and potential side-effects from PRK. My surgeon preferred PRK but only up to a point. At that time (4 or more years ago) he advised some patients with higher levels of corrective need toward LASIK over PRK.

My case was really unique as I had RK about 17 years before LASIK. I believe LASIK has been nearly discontinued for people that have RK in their history due to the risk of the epithelium "tunneling" as the eye heals, causing bad vision artifacts. I was lucky and did not have that problem. I did have a need for a PRK touch-up in one eye post LASIK.

When I think of all the corrective eye surgery I've undergone (RK, LASIK, and PRK) I feel really fortunate to have such great vision now!

The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

[peregrinerose 0]

Be sure that you're getting your eyes checked yearly. With that kind of invasive surgical history on your corneas, you probably have relatively thin corneas now. That makes eye pressure readings look falsely low and can make glaucoma a little more challenging to pick up as a result.

PRK removes less corneal tissue than LASIK, which is why it's usually recommended for higher Rxs, or for individuals with thinner corneas to begin with.

Personally, I'll wait til either advances are made with corneal crosslinking or cataracts surgery. Until then, one day contacts or glasses don't bother me at all.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[Iceburner 0]

First, thanks for all the responses. I did do a large amount of research beforehand, as i only have 1 set of eyes and really dont want to screw them up.

As far as lasik, lasek, and PRK, i will be talking more to my doc in the coming weeks (my pre-op meeting is in about a week). I'm trying to tie in this recovery time to that of my knee surgery which will be coming up as well....so if it is going to be a couple months, no biggie. I think from what i've read and am hearing, PRK might be the way to go. Again, i'll talk to the doc, but thanks a lot for all the responses!

[jim_32766 0]

Rose - yes, I do get annual eye exams, and not just anywhere, I go to the surgeon's office. I had very thick corneas to start and they now claim my corneas are about average. I am very appreciative of the excellent work they did with my challenging vision.

Thank you as well for your professional opinion and information shared via this thread. I am sure it will be found and read many times over by skydivers contemplating corrective surgery.

The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.