Thoughts on laser eye surgery for short sighted

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Has anyone has laser eye surgery for myopia (short sighted)? If so was it successful, are you happy you had it or do you regret it? Also is it recommended for younger or older people or makes no difference?

Apologies for all the questions. Just wondering if there's risk or if it would be worth having it done.

Thanks in advance.

I had it and it worked really well but after 10 years my eyesight got poorer and I'm now wearing glasses again. My husband also had the same surgery and hasn't needed glasses since.

Recommended for younger. I looked into it when I was in my late thirties and was warned that I'd likely need glasses again in my forties as most people experience some deterioration in their eyesight after 40 (though usually towards being long sighted not short sighted)

When my dm had her cataracts done she was myopic.
The surgeon wisely corrected her vision so she could still read close up without glasses.
If you're given 20/20 vision the chances are you may need reading glasses later.
I think it depends how old you are when you have surgery.

@KookyMoose did your eyes end up worse than they were before having the laser or just back to how you original sight was?
Also could you not have it done again?

I had this at 40, and wish I had it done earlier. 100% worth it. Yes, I will need reading glasses eventually - almost everyone will. But i will be able to buy 2 for £10 cheap reading glasses, and string them round my neck.

I might have got away without reading glasses for longer if I was still short sighted, but when I did need them I would have needed to consider bi-focals or using one eye for reading and one for distance. It is a more difficult correction. So there is still a benefit long term, IMO.

My husband had it 10 years ago. He was seriously myopic, -6 in one eye and -4 in the other. It was life changing for him.

I had LASIKin 2003 when I was 32. My prescription was -5 & it was life changing,

Last year I discovered I had Salzmann which I needed laser surgery for. That was quick & no where near as painful as LASIK. I asked the consultant if it was because of the lasik, he gave me a non-committal answer which made me think, ‘yes probably’.

i am completely recovered from the Salzmann.

I do need glasses for short & distance, but it’s only a very mild prescription.

i do not regret LASIK, & if I had my time again, I would do it again.

@Donna1001 I didn't realise it was painful

I had it done 13 years ago when I was 30 but I was back in glasses with 6 years. It was bliss for the short time I was glasses free but ultimately not worth it for me sadly. And I only had a minor prescription then of -1.75 and now I’m nearer -3 as well as starting to need reading glasses. The joy of age!

@Snackpocket could you not get it done again? I didn't realise it only lasted for a certain time.

It isn't!
I'm honestly the world's biggest baby and had LASIK in 2013. I had a slight over correction in one eye and a slight under in the other..but my eyes work together and vision is fine. I'm nearly 49, just had an eye test and nowhere near needing glasses.
Best thing I've done.

I had laser surgery just over 20 years ago. My prescription was -10 and -9.5 so my eyesight was very poor. The surgeon made one eye slightly long sighted and the other slightly short sighted so as I aged, they would compensate for each other. I’m late 50s now and need a very slight prescription for both driving and reading but it’s very minimal compared to previously. I can easily read my phone without glasses but wouldn’t try to drive without them. To go from needing contact lenses all the time to 20/20 vision was life changing for me.

Mine wasn’t painful but it was a very odd experience.

I had lazik at 32 and at 45 o need glasses for distance and reading. I would get it done again.

100 best thing I did! It’s not come back as bad as it was

The actual operation isn’t painful. The recovery is, but only for a day or so.

the next day it was better, then better still the day after.

its worth it though.

I had LASEK (very similar to LASIK) with Wavefront done in 2008, I was in my early 20s.
I chose the LASEK as it was a wee bit cheaper than LASIK at the time. £1785 all told.
I've had 20-20 vision ever since and very happy.

I got it done about 20 years ago and my eye sight is still 2020, best money I ever spent!

It's not that it lasts a certain length of time, it's just your eyesight declines as you get older, as it would if you had perfect vision and never needed the Laser eye surgery in the first place.

How long it lasts is massively individual, some people it lasts but it didn’t for me. I have thought about getting it done again but I just don’t think it’s worth the money based on my first experience so I’ll just stick to contacts and glasses.

I had LASIK surgery about 20 years ago. My eyesight up to then was terrible and my glasses were really thick. Generally I don't now need glasses except for VERY small print or night driving. However, I went to an independent very well qualified ophthalmic surgeon who I had thoroughly researched beforehand. I have friends who went to the clinics advertised online, and who have not had such a good result as I have.

It only corrects your sight as it is at the time. It doesn’t prevent your sight deteriorating.

I looked into it and had an extensive consultation with a well regarded surgeon about 4 years ago. There were 3 reasons why he didn’t think I was suitable, and he wouldn’t do it. I was gutted, it hadn’t occurred to me that not everyone is suitable, but I valued his honesty. I now wear varifocal contacts. (I’d saved up for it too!).

Don’t get your hopes up until you’ve actually had a consultation.

I had it done in 2007. It was life changing and no regrets. Eyesight wasn't perfect after but near enough. Supposed to have a lifetime guarantee but after 13 years or so I noticed my short sightedness was worsening again. I think long hours working at a tiny screen in a dimly lit room for the two covid years. The clinic had gone bust so the lifetime guarantee was no good. I asked a different provider about having it done again and they said they wouldn't advise it as my optic nerve was already quite short and I might get more limited benefit this time but for the same cost.

I wear glasses again for driving and TV. Found you can get prescription ones (and contact lenses) really cheaply online.

I've recently started to develop long sight too so will be needing glasses for that soon anyway. So I'm glad I didn't have laser redone but definitely dont regret the benefit it brought in my younger years.

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads What made you not suitable if you dont mind me asking? I didn't realise some peope are not suitable.

I had it done in 2001 aged 33.
I had very very poor eyesight .
Didn't hurt. Very quick procedure and quick recovery. Life changing from the first minute! I remember sitting in the darkened recovery room and looking out at a painting hung on the reception wall and thinking " OMG I can see it perfectly!!!"
I'm 58 now and I still don't need glasses for miopía.
Reading glasses definitely needed ..but still maintain very good vision 25 years later.

If you are suitable, laser surgery ‘fixes’ your sight by changing the cornea. The crystalline lens inside the eye isn’t altered and continues to change over time, this is why most people will need glasses from 50ish and will get cataracts eventually. So the laser correction doesn’t ’wear off’, just something else in the eye changes as we age.

I had it done at 37 in 1999 when it was fairly new as I'd had enough of contacts. I now wear a mild prescription driving glasses and driving sunglasses after a very scary trip home on the motorway in the rain about 10 years ago and use a basic +1 set of reading glasses for close screen work or reading. I still struggle driving at night but I think that's true of a lot if people.
My long range vision has probably deteriorated more than short range but it worked really well for 20+ years.
I am a ginger with green eyes so pretty much need sunglasses when I am outside in daylight all the time and always have done.