Does it make sense to get Lasik in your late 20s?

Jul 10, 2007
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I ask because doesn't vision start going the other direction (nearsighted to farsighted) during your late 30's - 40's?

So I'd be glasses/contacts free for 10 years and then back to them again...
 

xalos

Senior member
May 31, 2002
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0
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It depends on how bad your vision is. If your vision is really bad Lasik might not make your eyes 20/20 and you will still need a slight correction. However, it could correct your eye sight and in the future you might only need reading glasses instead of bifocals.
 

CycloWizard

Lifer
Sep 10, 2001
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LASIK can give you good distance vision for the rest of your life (more or less anyway). Your near vision will gradually go no matter what (unless you fund my research lab to prevent presbyopia :D). Early 20's is probably the best time to get LASIK but late 20's is still workable. There are some other options (e.g. monofocal or multifocal LASIK) which will hold up better over time - you might want to look into those.
 

bradley

Diamond Member
Jan 9, 2000
3,671
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I would try carnosine and msm eyedrops before ever messing with this surgery.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
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I don't trust the surgery, and there are a lot of reports it gets worse years later.

Ya, you're right about your eyes changing also, you can't sell well up close.
 

trmiv

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
14,670
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I got LASIK about 8 years ago when I was 29. My vision is still great and I'm still glad I did it.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
69,792
13,373
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www.anyf.ca
I'd love to get it, I just can't imagine actually going through it. I'd have to just bite the bullet and go for it. Not needing glasses would be awesome. I'm just scared that it would not last long. I'd hate to go through that and it only lasts 10 years or something.
 

thraashman

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
11,112
1,585
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I got LASIK about 6½ years ago when I was 26. Everything is still good and I consider it the best money I've ever spent.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
350
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To moderate my post above, two things: I have heard of improvements since I saw problems over a decade ago, and people seem usually very happy at first at least.

I'd check into the current research as to long term effects, to see if it's now a permanent benefit, or still has a high rate of problems after several years.
 

jaedaliu

Platinum Member
Feb 25, 2005
2,670
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Your lenses age over time due to heat exposure. Impossible to completely avoid, but sunglasses can help. Anyways, nearsightedness suffers because of the aging. You don't notice because your pupils get smaller as compensation. However, once they get to a certain size, they won't get any smaller. That's when you start needing reading glasses.

How much of an inconvenience are your glasses? If it's big one, get the surgery, you'll be like your non-glasses wearing friends. They too, will need reading glasses as they age.

If not, why bother?
 

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
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I need bifocals...sucks since I'm so young....and sunglasses. My life is easier having an all in one.


'sup, Craig? doing well?
 
Jul 10, 2007
12,041
3
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Your lenses age over time due to heat exposure. Impossible to completely avoid, but sunglasses can help. Anyways, nearsightedness suffers because of the aging. You don't notice because your pupils get smaller as compensation. However, once they get to a certain size, they won't get any smaller. That's when you start needing reading glasses.

How much of an inconvenience are your glasses? If it's big one, get the surgery, you'll be like your non-glasses wearing friends. They too, will need reading glasses as they age.

If not, why bother?

I wear contacts. Its the ritual of putting them on in the morning, to having dry eyes mid day, to cleaning them at night, not being able to read the clock when waking up etc.

But I love the convenience of not having to put up with glasses. And I like wearing sunglasses.
 

jaedaliu

Platinum Member
Feb 25, 2005
2,670
1
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I wear contacts. Its the ritual of putting them on in the morning, to having dry eyes mid day, to cleaning them at night, not being able to read the clock when waking up etc.

But I love the convenience of not having to put up with glasses. And I like wearing sunglasses.

If I were you, I would get it. Contacts costs add up. You should get an annual eye exam even after you get your eye surgery, so that cost is the same, but the lens and solution costs go away. It's free to get a consultation, so visit a few doctors and shop around. Eye surgery is a HSA eligible item, so you can save ~30% on your surgery if you schedule it correctly.

I looked ito it ~8 years ago, and found out that my corneal thickness was insufficient (even with interlase) for lasik, so I'm waiting for lens implants to become a little bit more common.
 

Imp

Lifer
Feb 8, 2000
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My eyes are burning right now... Probably my contacts and shit in them.

I still don't think I'd risk getting Lasik though. Pussy.
 

Murloc

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2008
5,382
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in the late 20s your vision shouldn't worsen anymore because you're fully grown.
What will happen is that you'll need reading glasses, whereas if you wait until you're old to get the surgery maybe you won't, but I think this is a stupid reason because you may end up needing them anyway.

I know people who got it and they're fine.

My vision is too bad for lasik, I'd have to get a lens implant. I'm sketchy on that and I don't mind glasses (I don't need bifocals) so I'll just wait, if the progress in the field continues who knows what I will be able to get in 10 years.
 
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Druidx

Platinum Member
Jul 16, 2002
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I got lasik 8 years ago, it's been great. My vision was horrible, I was right on the border of 20/200 which it the cut off for legally blind. Now I'm 20/20 in one eye and 20/15 in the other. My near vision is slowly starting to deteriorate but it would have done that regardless of me getting lasik or not. I would have never done the earlier versions of corrective eye surgery but Lasik is much better all the way around.
 

dabuddha

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
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1902434_460s.jpg
 

dabuddha

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
19,579
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I'm afraid to get lasik since I'm a type 1 diabetic. My eyes are going to go anyways.
 

nickbits

Diamond Member
Mar 10, 2008
4,122
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LASIK was one of the worst things I did.

Now I have to wear hard contacts (serious ghosting issues), have chronic dry eyes and light sensitivity. I used to be able to drive w/o sunglasses, now that is pretty much impossible.

I always seem to be in the 1-5% that the surgery doesn't work. So far 2/8 surgeries I've had did what they were supposed to do.
 

who?

Platinum Member
Sep 1, 2012
2,327
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I have a coworker who got Lasik when he was in his 40s or 50s. He claims the doc gave him one eye set for near and the other set for far.