The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

Anyone Have Experience With LASIK Eye Surgery?

PizzaOnTheRoof

Moving Forward
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
220%
Jul 30, 2018
1,218
2,682
Texas
I've had pretty terrible vision for my entire life and I'm looking into getting LASIK done. My concerns are something going wrong or having some permanent side effect from the surgery.

Has anyone here had it done or know somebody who has? Would you recommend it?
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Tourmaline

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
120%
Jun 4, 2019
898
1,082
Texas
Most people I know that have done it recommend it. Just accept the risk that you may go blind, it's like a 0.00001% chance.
 

Lex DeVille

Sweeping Shadows From Dreams
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
597%
Jan 14, 2013
5,351
31,935
Utah
Best $20 I ever spent

More than I spent. Had PRK done 12 years ago by the military for free. A few minutes under the light and I went from something like 20/400 to 20/15. Today I'm at 20/20, but to be fair I'd been staring at a screen all day the last time I was tested.
 

SD Entrepreneur

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
226%
Jul 12, 2019
86
194
San Diego, CA
I've had pretty terrible vision for my entire life and I'm looking into getting LASIK done. My concerns are something going wrong or having some permanent side effect from the surgery.

Has anyone here had it done or know somebody who has? Would you recommend it?
My wife, brother, father and a few others I know have all done it and are glad they did. My father did it probably 15 years ago, the technology has improved since then and it seems to be a safe procedure...
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

G-Man

Cantankerous Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
544%
Jan 13, 2014
1,992
10,838
Best $20 I ever spent
I was teasing - I've never had LASIK, but my mom went to one of the best Drs in the country to get it done, was $5k out of pocket, and has been way happier with life ever sent.

Don't ever go budget route with doctors, lawyers or accountants. Get the best you can possibly afford.
 

ChrisV

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
225%
May 10, 2015
3,141
7,055
Islands of Calleja
I can do LASIK.. i saw a tutorial on YouTuve

I'll do it for 75 bucks
 

ApparentHorizon

Platinum Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
301%
Apr 1, 2016
942
2,836
Greenville, SC
I've been researching this a bit...

First know why your vision is bad. Get a check up to see if you have any damage or other things that are not supposed to be there. Low chance, but get it done anyway, because of what LASIK actually entails.

Problem

My guess is that you're like the rest of us and have nearsightedness (myopia) from staring at screens or books all day, every day. If this is the case, your eyes are in a constant state of strain. To see close, your eyes have to be elongated. Eventually, your eyes get "stuck" in this position and you can no longer read street signs or see if that's $1 or $100 on the ground.

(I'm not sure what causes farsightedness, you'll need to research on your own if that's what you have.)

27382
The retina is the bowl in the back.

LASIK

It's fairly risk free. The most common issues patients face is dry itchy eyes. Especially at night. Where they're putting in lubricating drops daily. My biggest peeve to why I've not gone through with it.

The procedure itself doesn't fix your strained eye. Instead it "carves" out your cornea so the light focuses in on your retina. So a few decades later you may have to come in for a "touch-up," as you age or your environment changes.

27383

Non-LASIK Self-Administered Therapy

Glasses or contact lenses. Some of these force your eyeball to reshape, and it feels weird. Even hurting your eye. I tried it and it was real nuisance getting any work done with them. Headaches, dizziness. Others have reported success, but it works better the younger you are.

Staring distantly. This has worked great for me over the past couple of years. Your eyeball is in the relaxed state when staring far off. Anywhere from 20 to 100 meters. This is the 20-20-20 rule to get 20/20 vision. Every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds to stare 20 meters away. Looking across the street to your neighbors house does the trick. 100 meters is the length of a football field.

The better way to have relaxed eyes is to stare at trees. I won't get into the science, but trees reduces stress and lowers blood pressure.

At least 1-2 times a month I try to go out into nature from sunrise to sundown. Camping, fishing or something else that doesn't put too many objects directly in your face.

Plus it has a ton of other benefits than just better eyes.

I haven't researched what your diet contributes to eye health. But, I do know carrots won't do much, besides base maintenance. So if anyone has experience here, do share.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Ninjakid

Platinum Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
217%
Jun 23, 2014
1,936
4,206
Buddy Guy Eh
I was told not to get it done. Doing martial arts, it would be dangerous for me because LASIK weakens your lenses, so a blow in the right spot could cause blindness.
I'm totally cool wearing contacts and glasses. Plus I'm scared of lasers...
 

Runum

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
101%
Aug 8, 2007
6,221
6,298
DFW, Texas
I had it done in 2005 by Kleiman Evangelista in Arlington. I had worn glasses for over 30 years and my safety glasses were getting heavier and hurting. I had mono vision done to read out of one eye and long distance with the dominant eye. I still love it.

I did go in for a checkup recently and am developing cataracts. So, it looks like another eye surgery is in my future.
 

million$$$smile

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
703%
Dec 25, 2012
705
4,956
Midwest
Had it done 12 years ago. Best decision of my life.
But in the last year, I began noticing a bit of change in eyesight when I was reading, so I began taking 20mg of Lutein daily. (Have been taking it for 4 months)
Many pilots take this for their vision and as a student pilot myself, I thought I would give it a try. Have been taking it daily, and I no longer use reading glasses. It improved my nearsightedness to the point that I do not use the glasses any more. I continue to take it. Also I just went to a optometrist 2 weeks ago, and she confirmed that glasses were not needed.
Needless to say, I am impressed with the supplement.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

lewj24

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
369%
May 12, 2016
432
1,593
28
St. Louis, MO
From what I've read I wouldn't do it. (I've thought about it). Too risky for me. If you really dive in you'll find some eyebrow raising concerns.

Dr. Waxler is the Dr. that approve LASIK for the FDA. He is now a huge opponent of it, claiming that he was duped originally.

Some stats I found: out of 18 million LASIK patients 3.4 million have permanent eye damage.

Apparently dry eye is a big deal for most LASIK patients because the surgery cuts through the nerves that tell the brain to send tears to the eyes.

LASIK patients can have trouble seeing at night.

One study showed LASIK patients had cataract surgery 6 years earlier than non-LASIK patients.

LASIK permanently damages/weakens the cornea, since the cornea isn't capable of complete healing.

In my opinion the odds are too great. LASIK is too permanent. Glasses aren't that bad.
 

Rabby

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
319%
Aug 26, 2018
1,924
6,128
Florida
You might also look into Ortho-K. You wear contacts at night that shape your eyes. Take them out in the morning and have 20-20 vision all day. They also take the strain off of your eyes, unlike glasses, so the myopia does not get worse over time.
 

Rabby

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
319%
Aug 26, 2018
1,924
6,128
Florida
Also, you have eyes? I thought you were a skeleton.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Timhowie21

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
300%
Jun 22, 2019
2
6
What would MJ Do?
Consider this. MJ talks a lot in both his books about selecting a business or a decision that has a bigger upside than its downside.

I personally had LASIK done in December 2014. Throughout the process of consults and getting ready/preparing for the actual surgery day and surgery itself (takes a total of 8-10 minutes to get both eyes done) I was given papers and pamphlets that went over risks, disclaimers, etc. I just tossed them out because I was determined to have better vision and knew the surgery had been practiced for decades. Not to mention the % of success is 99.99% (they have to leave room for human error and that one or two people in millions that went blind in one or both eyes because of those mishaps).

Use the decision making tools if you have to. Make your three columns.

I can tell you it was the best decision I have made in relation to my physical health and well being. Instant improvement in my vision and a whole new world was opened up to me! A world of natural clarity.

Best $4,000 ($3,998) I’ve ever spent. This price granted me lifetime insurance on my eyes with them. A guarantee 20/20 vision or else I receive a free surgery correction - this extra cost also reduced the amount of my cornea they zap off. I could have got the standard procedure @ $2,998, but figured customizing the procedure for something so important to me was valuable.

**get it done in Canada if you don’t already live here - it’s cheaper.
*also you can cover the cost through a Health Spending Account (HSA)


 

Timhowie21

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
300%
Jun 22, 2019
2
6
From what I've read I wouldn't do it. (I've thought about it). Too risky for me. If you really dive in you'll find some eyebrow raising concerns.

Dr. Waxler is the Dr. that approve LASIK for the FDA. He is now a huge opponent of it, claiming that he was duped originally.

Some stats I found: out of 18 million LASIK patients 3.4 million have permanent eye damage.

Apparently dry eye is a big deal for most LASIK patients because the surgery cuts through the nerves that tell the brain to send tears to the eyes.

LASIK patients can have trouble seeing at night.

One study showed LASIK patients had cataract surgery 6 years earlier than non-LASIK patients.

LASIK permanently damages/weakens the cornea, since the cornea isn't capable of complete healing.

In my opinion the odds are too great. LASIK is too permanent. Glasses aren't that bad.
Age is inevitable my friend whether you have cataract surgery in 2056 or 2062 does it really matter, if you even fall into that percentage they “studied”. Anyway, I think if you want great vision for the next 30 years rather than using glasses or contacts (not to mention paying for these things as well) get LASIK. Everything has a risk factor.

You have to decide what is worth the risk to you.
 

biophase

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
474%
Jul 25, 2007
9,122
43,266
Scottsdale, AZ
I haven’t done it and I’m glad I didn’t. Because now as I’ve gotten older, when I wear contacts I can’t see up close. So I need to put my phone 18 inches away.

But when I take off my contacts, my phone is perfectly clear up to 18”. I like being able to remove my 20/20 vision vs wearing reading glasses.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

lewj24

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
369%
May 12, 2016
432
1,593
28
St. Louis, MO
Everything has a risk factor.

You have to decide what is worth the risk to you.

Yea. I have decided LASIK is too risky for me.

Curious. What are the risks with glasses? Contacts?

As far as I can tell the only health risk for glasses is the fact that it forces your eyes into a fixed lens that they must adjust in, causing eye strain.

Contacts do the same and there's more of a health risk because they restrict the natural airflow into the eye, can have bacteria on them, damage to the cornea etc.

Seems to me glasses are the least risky, then contacts, and then way down in third place is LASIK.
 

Danny Sullivan

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
207%
Jul 2, 2018
204
422
Germany
One of our co-workers recently had laser surgery (farsightedness) and isn't happy with the results. First of all, it took her much longer to heal up from what the doctor's had told her and afterwards vision wasn't as good as she expected. So she has some trouble reading and working on computers nowadays, which are the cause of constant minor headaches.

I thought about doing it like 10 years ago and am glad i didn't. I'm wearing contact lenses when i'm doing heavy work or glasses for office days.

Guess that's sort of hit and miss. It might work very well or just well for you or it doesn't and you'll need some sort of glasses or lenses anyways. That's too much of a gamble for me personally.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Bertram

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
147%
Oct 25, 2015
573
842
Virginia
I've had pretty terrible vision for my entire life and I'm looking into getting LASIK done. My concerns are something going wrong or having some permanent side effect from the surgery.

Has anyone here had it done or know somebody who has? Would you recommend it?
So guess what.
Vision naturally IMPROVES with age!!!! Ask yr eye doctor.
My contact script in one eye improved -5.75 to -4.25 over 9 years. Other eye was -4.50 to -3.75.
This is a common experience.
Computer screens cause blurred vision partly by drawing microparticles onto eyes. Rinse eyes 40 times with cool water daily. Change your lifestyle to improve your vision.
 
Last edited:

CareCPA

Platinum Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
356%
May 2, 2017
976
3,479
35
Pennsylvania
I had it done about 10 years ago now.

Actually I had PRK - so instead of them cutting a flap and folding it back to do the lasering, they scrape off the outer layer of your eye - and then it grows back. I was hoping to be a military pilot at the time, and PRK was approved, but LASIK wasn't.
Growing back the outer layer of your eyeball hurts like hell. My dad had true LASIK - not nearly the amount of pain.

I haven't had any issues. I have some dry-eyes (at night), but that could either be from the surgery, or it could be hereditary.
I expect to need reading glasses someday, but seeing how my parents are, I expected that anyway.
Worth every penny of the $4k my parents spent on it ;)
 

MakeItHappen

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
191%
Apr 12, 2012
635
1,216
Does anyone here have experience with ICL?

It seems to be reversible. Nothing is permanently damaged. Also, depending in how bad your eyes are LASIK isn't always possible.

"The Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) is an advanced, thin, clear lens that functions similarly to a contact lens, however it is surgically implanted into the eye. The ICL cannot be felt while in the eye, requires no maintenance and can be removed if needed."
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Seamster

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
139%
May 21, 2019
107
149
The Rust Belt; MI
Listen to me and then contact me in 6 months....

...I always needed glasses to see the board from the back of the classroom in school or else for driving at night in a new city: I couldn't read the street signs.

A buddy was taking bilberry extract and he told me it made his eyes great. He was taking way too much though. I started taking the pills little by little then I basically got on a regime of one a day. I can't say how long it will take to make but I can say that I no longer need glasses in the back of the room at work and can see well enough to not need glasses even in a big, new, dark, busy city. My eyes aren't perfect, but I haven't had LASIK.

People at work have gotten it in their 20s and have had complications. One of them had a full bottle of bilberry on her desk that she never used because "I don't think it will work." I tried to tell her she has absolutely nothing to lose and only nutrition and possibly better vision and no need for surgery to gain, but she didn't listen.

I give you the same advice. I've been buying it from Piping Rock but you can get it anywhere. Make sure the concentration is good enough.
 

paulyh

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
200%
Mar 1, 2014
7
14
Whistler
I had Lasik eye surgery over 20 years ago and it changed my life. I like to ski and mtn bike and it was a game changer. Not cool getting something in your contacts while flying down a mountain at high speeds. The correction has remained about the same from day 1. Go for it!
Oh, and I agree its best to find an opthamologist to oversee as opposed to a cheap technician
 

Jayan

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
100%
Oct 10, 2017
3
3
39
canada
I've had pretty terrible vision for my entire life and I'm looking into getting LASIK done. My concerns are something going wrong or having some permanent side effect from the surgery.

Has anyone here had it done or know somebody who has? Would you recommend it?
I went for it. then the doctor gave a form and told me to read and then sign it.there was a list of possible side effects like blindness and other things. so I didn't sign it and I walked out.
I know the chance is low but I can't put myself in a position to be blind and most people by 40 have to use some kind of glasses to see better so what's the point anyway.
 

LuckyPup

Opportunity + Preparation = Success
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
159%
Aug 2, 2012
530
845
Midwest USA
I've had pretty terrible vision for my entire life and I'm looking into getting LASIK done. My concerns are something going wrong or having some permanent side effect from the surgery.

Has anyone here had it done or know somebody who has? Would you recommend it?
I had LASIK done around 2000 from one of the pioneers, and until a few years ago, my vision remained 20/20. I knew LASIK has a shelf life, so I wasn't surprised that my eyesight worsened after nearly 20 years. Prior to surgery my vision was very poor (probably 20/300 or worse), and I had an astigmatism in both eyes. After wearing glasses from age 9 and contacts since age 14, LASIK was a total game changer. Everyone is different and I'm sure the technology has improved since I had mine, but the only side effects I had were a "halo" effect during night driving, which I had experienced wearing my contacts as well, and a circle around the outer edge of my irises, where the incision was made (which is not really a side effect and I think I'm the only person who has ever noticed it, anyway). The halo effect subsided over time, and my eyesight remained great for many years. In short, I HIGHLY recommend it, and I'm considering having a "touch up" if I'm still a candidate.
 
Last edited:

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top