LASIK and Fly tying/fishing

Has anyone had LASIK surgey and how has it affected your fly tying/fishing (positively or negatively)
I am thinking about it but i have been reading where people need reading glasses afterwards so i am concerned with how this might affect fly tying.
I guess overall it cant be that bad since i currently need glasses or contacts to tie flies as it is.
Any testamonials will be appreciated.

thanks

I have not had it yet, but I am getting closer. I am waiting for them to work out all the kinks on everyone else.

Obviously, you’ll need to do your own research and decide for yourself, no one else can answer such a personal question for you. To make an informed decision, I’d encourage you to determine the different equipment and methods of doing it. Intralase v. microkeratome will be of particular interest. Intralase uses a laser to cut the flap instead of the blade. The research tends to indicate that the use of the blade provides the greatest change of deviation in quality.

The Laser Center is a big institution and started in Dallas. The Wang Institute in Nashville was founded by a doctor affiliated with Vandy. In-View in Atlanta was founded by doctors from Emory who used to operate as an Emory Eye Clinic but went on their own way. Each of them has informative websites.

Reading glasses!! :???: I don’t know of too many people who can get past their 40’s without having to get readers… It’s just a normal rude part of aging. Lasik of no Lasik.

Joe…you asked for personal experience…here’s mine…

Yes, I’ve had lasik and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Very very positive result

The need for reading glasses is dependent on age… went from being nearsighted and not needing reading glasses to having normal [actually better than normal] far vision to needing reading glasses…in other words I became a normal older person.
Before the surgery I wore contacts and when the contacts were in I needed reading glasses…never believed in that one contact for reading and one for far thing…maybe I should have since I’m left eye dominant and a right handed shooter…would have saved wearing glasses when shotgunning and have a block over the left eye…

It as worth it for me…all my outdoor activities have been positively impacted.

As for tying …I would use magnification anyway.

I had lasik three years ago and one of the best things I’ve ever done. I went from having 20/200 with horrible astigmatism to 20/15 with no astigmatism. Being an outdoor guy lasik really improved my lifestyle.

Now with flyfishing and flytying, having that great far vision has helped me with fishing but you will need reading glasses to tie. I use fold-downs on my hats and reading glasses at the bench. Virtually EVERYONE over 50 will need reading glasses…but I buy cheap $10 pairs and use them.

This is NOT a recommendation for lasik as you should do LOTS of research before you do it and make your owned informed decision but my experience has been great. Would do it again in a heartbeat!

rf

I had lasik and will never need reading glasses. You correct one eye for near and one for distant vision.

Wow! What a timely thread! I am scheduled to have LASIK next week - the “bladeless” surgery with distance correction in my right eye and near-vision in my left eye. I have those "pre-surgery jitters, so am happy to read the positive posts. At this point, my vision is SO bad, it is expensive to correct it with glasses and there seems to be a lot of distortion (years ago, they would have been “coke-bottle” lenses). The type of contacts to which I am limited are a hassle to get into my eyes. They are huge b/c they have a gas-permeable, rigid center with a large soft material for the outer rim - I swear, they are bigger than nickels. Anyway, having the surgery now makes the most sense for my vision

When I returned to wearing contacts several years ago, I found that having both lenses with a distance correction drove my absolutely crazy. My husband and I went out for dinner that first night that I picked up the contacts and I could not see ANYTHING on the menu. I could not see my finger to fix a nail that I shredded. Things went downhill from there until I saw the optometrist for a checkup a week later. (During my initial years with contacts, I did not need reading glasses.) Anyway, the optometrist changed my contacts to monovision (for me, right = distance, left = near) which I wore for several years without any problems - just needed a flip magnifier for really tiny flies. Not everyone can tolerate monovision, but I was fortunate to adjust right away.

If someone would have asked me about choosing monovision before I tried the 2 distance contact lenses, I would have told them that monovision sounded like an awful idea. So, I am very glad that I was able to experience what the surgical correction would have been like with 2 distance lenses from my contact lens experience. Although my distance vision was not quite as crisp with monovision, I simply could not stand not being able to see anything close without the reading glasses. I am not sure why this bothered me so much when I have practically been tied to glasses since age 7, but it did. I will still need reading glasses for really small flies and for reading really small print, but even now with my glasses (and contacts), I have used a flip-down magnifier when tying or fishing tiny flies.

I’ve got a little different slant on the Lasik thing, because I am very near-sigihted, and so am able to tie by removing my glasses and getting right on top of my vise. I was going to get Lasik till I asked the Dr. if I would retain my near vision and ability to see the fly and he said no way. I never liked the flies I tied with my contacts and readers.

I’m lucky - I have this naturally. Eye doctor told me that when I’m about 45 I’ll just stop wearing one contact!

Lasik sounds good, but if someone offered you a ‘laser to the eye’ would you take it?

How about a ‘knife to the groin’?

Not me.

Joe,

I had mine done 8 years ago. I would do it agan in a heart beat.
I need bifocales so the $1 store reading glasses are what works now.
I use 1.25 or 1.50 for reading but I go to a 3.0 for tying.

Answer #1 yes

Answer #2 no…well maybe if I had a hernia:p

YOu can opt for “monovision” ie: one eye corrected for far and one eye corrected for near.

I would STRONGLY suggest you try this with contact lenses first before having it done.

Otherwise, yes you will need reading glasses…if you are over 40.

Another thing to consider is dry eye. For about 3-6 months after surgery you will have a serious case of dry eyes.

Onaccounta my age, when I read the post topic, I mixed up Lasik with Ciallis and wondered WHAT could Ciallis= Lasik POSSIBLY do to improve ones tying or fishing. Needless to say , my curiosity forced me to open the thread and … DUH!! :slight_smile:

Mark

Wife went to see about getting the Lasik surgery a year ago; but, the surgeon, after eye testing, said she had the beginnings of cateracts so he wouldn’t do the surgery. Hadn’t seen the mention of that on this thread so thought I’d add it.

Good point GMM…I believe that when the cataracts are corrected the other will be too…of course they will wait till the cataracts are bad enough.

My daughter just went to contacts…the monovision thing and she’s delighted however at first they mixed up the dominant eye thing and she had trouble…but that was easily fixed with contacts…but I would sure hate to have it mixed up with lasik.

Cataract surgery= a form of refractive surgery. Results will be the same if not better than Lasik.
If you are close to cataract surgery DO NOT have Lasik. YOu get a “free” refractive surgery with cataract surgery.

Explanation. When they remove the bad lens inside the eye(the cataract) they replace it with an intraocular lens. They can get you closer to needing no correction for distance vision with cataract surgery than with Lasik(in many cases).

Be careful. I went to Kaiser to have mine done. I woke up blind as a bat, lying in a motel bathtub full of ice, and missing a kidney.

Thanks for the input guys. It was just the info i was looking for, not really a recommendation just other peoples experiences. I have an evaluation scheduled for next tuesday so we will see how that goes. I jsut hope my Dr. isnt liked DSFlyman’s :slight_smile:

Filled in at a Kaiser once. That was the last time I set foot in the place.

I had it done last year about this time. It was totally worth it. I had to wear reading glasses with my contacts anyway so I really dont notice any difference. It sure is nice on camping tips not having to worry about contacts and glasses ect.