Laser eye treatment -

[Hickdive]

I concur, if laser eye surgery had been available when I was younger I'd have taken it. Life transforming.

 

[Matt Clancy]

I had LASIK 3 years ago, best 4000 I've ever spent. Procedure took about 30 minutes and could see immediately following. I had some night halos for about the first year, faded now. They recommended 8 weeks before diving or swimming.


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[Jax]

Phil_C, ditto the six weeks -- BUT

if you are an older (>50) diver, know that you will need to put readers in your mask. :depressed:

 

[Phil_C]

Hi Jax - you've let my secret out the bag,

Yep - I'm over 50, but as I have started to reach the point where I wear glasses for distance AND then start to wear readers for close up I thought I could at least eliminate one pair.

In many ways I would prefer not to have glasses for distance - a pain in the A**e on ribs and when I surface and take off the prescription dive mask. I have recently gone back to wearing contacts and have to carry readers for anything close when they are on, but so much better in the rain and so on.

Oh the burden of age

Phil

 

[otis24]

I had LASIK in 2006. So far so good. I didn't dive back then but I do recall it took about 6 months to get back to completely normal.

 

[parachute]

Question for anyone who has had PRK (not LASIK):

It is my understanding that for 1 year following surgery you are instructed to wear sunglasses while outside. Did you have to forgo scuba during this time, or if not, how did you handle scuba activities during this time? Thanks!

 

[gert7to3]

Glass in the lenses of your mask will provide partial protection from U/V B (I think). You may want to contact one of the prescription mask providers and ask about U/V coated lenses. If you had these in a mask with a black skirt your eyes would be well protected while diving. You would definitely need good wrap around sunglasses topside.

 

[medtechdvr]

PRK / LASIK / LASEK are three different types of laser eye surgeries to correct similar problems but it depends on your individual eye condition to determine which one is more appropriate for you. You will need your eye surgeon to examine your eye (you will do one eye at a time) to see which one is best.

The most popular one is currently LASIK due to its short recovery time - the surgeon cuts a flap in the epithelial (outer) layer of the cornea and uses a laser to correct the shape of the stomal (middle) layer to fix your vision. In PRK, the cornea's entire epithelial (outer) layer is removed and to better access your stomal layer. This is often used for patients with thin epithelial layers or people who have already had LASIK surgery or other issues determined by the eye surgeon. Another option is LASEK, where the surgeon lifts the epithelial layer, preserves it and replaces it afterwards.

In all cases, your recovery time, and time to return to diving depends largely on the recovery rate of your eyes. The epithelial layer of the cornea has an amazing regenerative capacity, typically in PRK, a new layer is generated in 5 days. You can actually implant cells from one eye to the damage ones of the other eye and it will regenerate a whole new layer - that's how strong the regenerative abilities are. However, there's also ocular pressure to consider, whether there might be post surgery-infection, or haze, or fluid build-up, but these are very rare. In typical cases, you should be able to return to diving within a few months.

I've had LASIK in 2000 in both eyes and returned to diving within 2 months. Mostly the adaptation is in the visual cortex of your brain, not in your physical eye. Your visual cortex needs to learn to get use to the new modulation of the eyes to be able to use the new acuity and make adjustments. If you use glasses at this time, your visual cortex will not learn to make the adaptation and you'll end up relying on the glasses.

I'm not a doctor, only an epidemiologist - and in all cases, individual differences will determine your treatment profile. Hope this helps!