Greg Cothern

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I am curious as to how many out there flying have had some kind of laser surgery for sight enhancement? I have pondered the idea but this is obviously an area that can only be answered by those flying who have had it done.

JBH

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Good question. When I was racing RC trucks ten years ago I started experimenting with glasses as my eyes were so bad even then. Now I'm flying RC planes and they require much better vision and my eyes are now ten years worse. I really need to do something about it and will be interested in any replies you get.

I often joke that the reason I spend my entire flights torque rolling in front of my face down on the runway is because I can't see the plane any further out. The sad part is that it is really not a joke at all. In rolling circles my plane disappears at the far side of the circle. I just keep the same rhythm and hope it appears again while coming around. :-)

BalsaOvercast

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There's an article in the most recent issue of RC Excellence magazine about laser surgery and model airplanes. Check it out...

azhar

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Hi All,

I have done Lasik about 6 months back and am very happy that I did it. My vision is better than 20/20. I have had no side effects whatsoever. I don't see why it should affect RC flying in any way unless you have a bad surgery.


Azhar

JBH

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Thanks for bringing up that encouraging thought. :-)

Herb-RCU

I'm having LASIK done in less than a month now. I will try and remember to post the results here.

I believe that this surgery will probably be better than my contacts. When the wind picks up my contacts get more and more fuzzy. This is really frustrating when flying. I have to blink a bunch of times to get my eyes clear.

Herb

JohnMcGowan

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Hey guys... I am John McGowan from Birmingham, Ala and I am an optician employed at the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital which is part of UAB med center. If you would like, I can have an ophthalmologist( the MD who does the surgery) contact you to answer any questions you guys have about lasik(No... , this is not an advertisement - just email me your email addresses tomorrow to my work email and I will forward them to the Drs.
Thanks and happy flying!!! John McGowan
[email protected]

jkeze

My Feedback: (36)

Guys:
Had Lasik done in Jan. 2000 and have never regretted it. I was a about 20/800 and now he says I am 20/20. One eye is a bit better than the other but I cannot blame my sight for my crashes now.

Jack

Johng

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Lasik =

I had Lasik done just before Christmas. At my 1 month check up I had 20/15 vision in both eyes. This after starting with 20/100 left eye and 20/200 right.

A few weeks ago I went skeet shooting. After warming up with the first magazine of shells, I went 18 for 18.

I have also test flown my newest plane, a Stinger 120. I fly just fine, in fact, it seems I have better depth perception without the lenses - although I generally wear sunglasses now.

I still look at things far away and am amazed that I can see them without glasses. There was a period of adjustment, where my eyes were re-learning to focus together on some things - not that I was having trouble seeing, I just needed to concentrate at looking directly at things I needed to focus on. I assume this is from all the years that my eyes had learned to focus with glasses. Now, it's all automatic.

The thing to be concerned about is not price, but confidence in your Dr's abilities. I happened to know a Dr who has been in the business before Lasik came out and has all the latest equipment, including eye-tracking laser. His staff is the most professional medical group I have ever been involved with.

He had done quite a few aquaintances of mine - so I had a good pool of references. Just as important as all the satisfied patients I knew of - were the few people that he rejected as bad candidates. A Dr that is willing to turn down business rather than risk marginal results is someone with integrity. I doubt these guys that advertise "$499 an eye" or whatever in the sports section of the paper have that. In fact, I doubt those specials are really cheaper.

My surgery cost almost exactly $2000. That included EVERYTHING. Pre op checks, post op checks, eye drops and other medical supplies. Even the checkup after one month was covered by the one bill. I'll bet my good vision that those bargain places nickel and dime( actually, $10 and $20) you for all kinds of additional expenses.

So, I think once you decide you can afford it, the only other choice is that of a good Dr. FWIW - mine was done by Dr. Joel Sugar in Perry, Florida. If you are North of Orlando, South of Atlanta, and East of New Orleans - this is the choice to make. I have no side deal or interest in Dr. Sugar's business. It's just that I can't imagine having more confidence in a Dr. - or getting the level of service and expertise for less money. What I paid was a bargain.

tbone4343

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I had it done 1 month and a couple of days ago just had a check up on last thursday ,one month check up next one in 3 months .
best thing i could have done ,doc says ive got 20/15 vision now and i would recomend everyone to have it done if they are a good candadate. i've flown 10 or so times since surgery and its as good as them damn peices of glass that always fog up or slip down,or playing with hose and have to stop and clean . i wore glasses since i was 8 years old and i'm 45 now and wow what a releif it is . still reach at times to do the adjust and the first thougt is to look and see where my specs are and it hits you ,just old habbits are hard to break. now i buy a pair of sunglasses and go and if they break or i forget them huh ! just by another and detadee on the road again .
GREAT AA++ : ) and no -00-

Herb-RCU

I just had LASIK done last Thursday and so it has been exactly a week. I can see quite well. My eyes are still healing and so my vision isn't always perfect, but it is just about as good as wearing contacts. If anything, I think it will be easier to fly a plane. My contacts would get a little cloudy if there was a breeze or if they got dry. I too would recommend this procedure to anyone that is a good candidate. Just be sure that the doctor is respectable. It isn't worth your eyesight to save a few bucks!!!

Herb

MHawker

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It's been 4 years since I had my Lasik done. There should be no reason why it would affect RC flying. I just started flying RC about 4 months ago and have no problems with sight. (now flat and level flight, take offs and landings, etc are a different story).

FYI- I would give your new Lasik about 6 months before you judge the outcome. I remember worrying about the dry eyes, haze, focus problems, etc while healing. All that has gone away. I did have to go back in to have one eye re-done. One eye settled in at 20/20 and the other slipped to 20/60. After they redid it, one eye is 20/20 and the other is 20/25. I've been very happy.

Blackie

Ok well I know nothing about wearing glasses and such so please forgive me if I ask a stuipd question.

I just turned 42 and up until now I have never had to wear glasses. My eyes are starting to turn for the worse as I just purchased a +100 magnification pair of glasses so I could read the small print. As far as waring to see far I am ok, does this mean that if I had the Lasik done would it inprove my site more then it is now?

Randy

Herb-RCU

Randy,

First of all, it isn't a stupid question. The answer to your question is 'no.' You are having problems seeing near because as we age, the lens in the eye begins to harden. This does not allow the muscles of the eye to change its shape enough to bring close items into focus. When we look at things in the distance, the muscles around our lens are relaxed.

Some people get LASIK done because they are farsighted. However, this not because of the hardening lens (there is some term for this) but because of the fact that the eye isn't round. This is the same reason people (like me) are/were nearsighted. LASIK reshapes the cornea (clear part on the outside of eye) to correct for aspherical eyes. While I have had LASIK done to make my eyesight good now, when I age, I too will have problems seeing things close up.

I think that they can correct for this by doing monovision. This means that one eye could see things close up while the other one could only see things in the distance. Personally, I think that this would drive me bananas. It would also compromise your depth perception.

I'm sure someone here is more knowledgable about this subject, but this is the simple understanding that I have of the issue. I hope I explained it clearly.

Herb

Blackie

Thanks! herb,

Yes it's clear to me now.

Randy

Herb-RCU

Did anyone notice that MHawker's quote/signature is very fitting?

Herb

jelaird

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Well, I'm getting the Lasik procedure done next week. It has been really assuring to read this thread since my biggest concern was my flying ability afterwards. Too bad it won't cure that sweat dropping into your eyes on a hot day. I had to land with one eye closed this week due to that. Thank goodness it was my Sig SE.
Jack

JohnMcGowan

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Hey Blackie (Randy), welcome to the world of getting older. The term for you not being able to see up close any more is called: presbyopia. The muscles of the eye cant quite focus as good as they used to/ its gonna happen to us all.(usually between the ages of 40-45) As far as having Lasik done, people usually still need reading glasses after the procedure if they are of that age of 40+. John McGowan

vegas mossie

I had the Lasik surgery over a year ago, and my vision is still 20/20 or better. (from 20/400+) It took them all of 20 min. to fix my eyes. I could see just as soon as they pulled me out from underneath the laser. (it is bolted to the floor) This is the best money I have ever spent. Loren

ReallyUglyStick

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i've been lasikily enhanced, myself. it feels like someone is putting hot pokers into your eyes...ok, JUST KIDDING!! i'm a medical wimp, and i made it through just fine. i can see wonderfully now, and i wouldn't go back and not do it for anything. my vision before was somewhere around 20/1000 (the machines they used to check it in the military didn't go that high, so it's a guess).
if you get it done (lasik), the only thing i can say is this: DON'T RUB YOUR EYES AFTERWARDS!!!!!!!!!! they will be irritated and you'll want to rub them soooo bad, but don't!!! you can tear and lose the little flap they cut, and then you'll be in a very bad situation. wear the stupid looking goggles or eye protectors the doc gives you and you'll be fine!

RGM

My Feedback: (5)

Hi John, Blackie, Herb, et all.
Like John I too am an optician. I'm glad the presbyopia thing was brought up. Thats one thing that some people don't consider. Especially when they're still young enough not to have to worry about the up close stuff. Everybody gets to deal with it eventually, though. People are generally not aware that the reason we can't see clearly at near as we get older and the reason(s) we can't see clearly at distance are different. As John said, the near vision difficulty we face as we age is because of the lens, not the cornea. And the cornea is whats being worked on for Lasik. The monovision option that Herb mentioned is OK, but as a rule I tend to discourage it as an option for Lasik. John, I don't know what your experience with the mono set up has been, but I have worked with and talked with I don't know how many people over the years who had the Lasik done as monovision, and very few of them were truly happy with it. Most were going back in for a retouch and just go with a pair of NVOs or maybe PALs. Its like its OK, but that clarity we like and get accustomed to over the years is just not there. Its a compromise at best. And it flat doesn't work for some people. One thing you might try if you really want to give monovision a shot is to first get yourself fitted with a set of contacts set up for monovision. That way you can at least get an idea of what its like before you do the surgery. If you're already wearing contacts, just tell your Doc that you want to give it try. Depending on what type of contacts you wear, he may even give you a freebie diagnostic set to try. Who knows, maybe it'll work for you. And that way you might save yourself a trip back for a retouch.
Vision enhancement surgery is not new. It has been around for a long, long time. And it has not always been as reliable as it is today. But its still not bullett proof. Contrary to what some of the ads would have you believe, it is NOT for everybody. The best approach is to educate yourself. Make an informed decision. Most are good candidates, but it never hurts to get a 2nd opinion.

Robby

My Feedback: (18)

Ookkayy..
First off.. Not to intrude into anyones personal business I am curious as to what people pay for Lasik. At 51 I still see up close just fine.. However, I was having trouble with a 55" w/twin .46's I have, so decided to get an eye exam.. hence, I now wear glasses sometimes.. Funny, what r/c will teach a person..
Second, how long afterwards can one go flying, driving,swimming,etc..
Third, IS there any pain related to it..
And finally, if one <as I do> has 'scratch's on eyes, can lasik be done..

Robby
<and people wonder why I want 100" planes now,, HA!>

ReallyUglyStick

My Feedback: (5)

as for price, i got LUCKY!!! a doc down in central FL was having a special. my sister had lasik done by him and called me to tell me about it. it seems the doc was new in town and wanted to drum up business. i flew to FL (ticket cost me $110, one way, my sis and I drove back up to NC afterward) and got in on very short notice. the bill was $1000, total. after the surgery i was driven home and i slept/rested for the rest of the night. i drove myself the next day to the follow-up, about an hour drive. the doc had to smooth one of my flaps back down cuz i accidentally rubbed my eye. that was the most pain of the entire surgery, but it only felt like my eye was irritated. after a few days the pain was ALL gone and my vision got better over the next couple of weeks.
the only side effect i suffered was "starbursts". i think this is why (if i remember correctly): the area that's adjusted is a certain size, based on the size of your eye. your pupils dialate in the dark, and in some cases the pupil gets bigger than the spot on your eye that was adjusted, causing slight starbursting. at first it was a regular occurence, but now it happens rarely. it didn't really effect my vision. everything but the starbursts is perfectly clear. oh-the starbursts i'm talking about occur around lights. it was worse when my eyes were dry, so i just kept some visine around, and it wasn't a problem
as for being a good candidate, i'm 26 now, and had the surgery 2 years ago. i'd checked into rk and lasik a few times, but the docs told me my vision had to be stable for it to be effective. i started wearing glasses for myopia (i think that was it, nearsightedness) when i was 10, and my vision got progressively worse until i was about 17. i started wearing contacts at 13. after that it changed only slightly for a couple of years, then it didn't change at all.

jelaird

My Feedback: (1)

At my pre-op appointment yesterday, my doctor was really pushing the mono-vision thing since I'm 45 and the close up stuff is getting harder to see too. Has anybody had this done instead of both eyes at 20/20, and has it affected your ability to see small objects far away. I fly sailplanes part-time and they get really high. I'm under the laser today at noon so any replies to this would help my decision.
Thanks, Jack

Herb-RCU

I had LASIK done about three months ago now. I am quite happy with it. I went from over 20/400 to 20/20 in the right eye and 20/25 in the left. It is amazing to be able to wake up in the middle of the night and be able to see the alarm clock without having to get close to it. I also like not having to stick my finger in my eye every morning and evening to get the contacts out. The only negative effect is that my vision degrades a little in low lighting situations indoors. Apparently this is due to my large pupils. My night vision doesn't seem to be affected too much (I don't fully understand the difference.) As far as flying R/C airplanes, its great. I don't have any problems at all.

As far as cost, it was $1250 total. This was not a guy that just started but at the time he did my surgery, he had already done over 13,000 procedures. If you are considering the procedure, I would recommend that you find someone that has done a lot of them. Your eyesight is not worth saving a few hundred bucks!

Herb