Lasik/Laser Eye Surgery

[tellmeagain]

Hi Everyone,

Has anyone considered or had this procedure done? I have RRMS for 2 1/2 yrs now, doing very well. I'm on copaxone. Prior to being diagnosed I was considering Lasik Eye surgery because I'm tired of contacts and glasses. Now being dx, little worried about possible flare-up, I know sometimes flare-ups could affect vision. Has anyone had this procedure done or considered it? What has been your experience? Is it recommended for someone with MS?

Thanks for your input,
Tellmeagain

[Jules A]

Without even considering MS I'm not a fan of this surgery.
What many people do not know is that there is no guarantee that their vision will be 20/20 after this surgery.

Just on a personal note the idea of someone operating on my eyes for what is basically cosmetic surgery just doesn't sound appealing to me but I'm sure others will write in with positive experiences. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[NeuroNixed Craig]

Without even considering MS I'm not a fan of this surgery.
What many people do not know is that there is no guarantee that their vision will be 20/20 after this surgery.

Jules brings up a very important point many people are never made aware of when being "sold" this procedure. Best to do your own research and get second and third opinions. It is still a risky procedure even when MS complications are not in consideration. Check with your neurologist for their insights.

Just on a personal note the idea of someone operating on my eyes for what is basically cosmetic surgery just doesn't sound appealing to me but I'm sure others will write in with positive experiences. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Yes, this is normally considered cosmetic surgery and elective, not covered by insurance. The eyes are nothing to mess with or take lightly when consider this type of procedure. Be sure what you want, research all about it, interview a couple of doctors and their histories, and be prepared for the financial costs.

[elmo2010]

don't know for sure, but i went for a laser hair removal consult and was told to avoid anything laser related and a repituble place would not touch me with MS or any autoimunne disorder as they don't know what kind of effect it can have on symptoms.

[CrazyCatLady]

I had lasik surgery done in 2003 but didn't get MS until this past June so no relation there.

I just wanted to say that before my surgery without my glasses I was legally blind but 100% corrected with my glasses. I ended up with 20/20 in one eye and 20/15 in the other. Pretty good! I dont regret a day that I had the surgery and again it was way back in 2003 when it was a little more invasive. My health insurance at the time did pay for it as I was legally blind without glasses.

If you were to ask me now that I have MS? I guess because I am so new with my new diagnosis I would wait, and really take my neuro's advice on it.

[Deer In Headlights]

No Glasses or contacts

15 years ago my students use to laugh when I couldn't read the white board, so I went to glasses.

Glasses were a pain in the butt so I started using contacts. I wasn't very good with that one either.

I put two contacts in one eye, I didn't think that the first one was in. My eye was swollen and very painful.

Well, needless to say, I had the surgery done 13 years ago and a touch up 3 years ago.

It was the best thing that I did for myself, I could wake up in the middle of the night and tell what time it was.

It wasn't cosmetic for me. I have a hard enough time as it is, I idn't need to have another challenge in my life.

Had it done in 04 prior to my MS diagnosis.

When I turned 40 (2 years later) I needed bifocals, so..if you have to pay for the procedure, I would seriously think it through.

Doc told me it might happen.

My far vision is still great and I do love not having to wear glasses for everything.

[Redwings]

Hi tellmeagain:
There's conflicting opinion among refractive surgeons about the advisability of doing LASIK on people with MS. Some won't do the procedure on anyone with any kind of autoimmune condition, some perform it -- and have reported successful results -- on people with MS (partly because MS isn't a collagen-vascular disease), and others will do LASIK on anybody, even people who are clearly bad candidates.

The risk to people with MS is mostly theoretical. I've never seen anything in the medical literature about a person being thrown into an MS flare or other problem from the localized inflammation of LASIK. If there is one thing to be aware of, it's that people with MS have been found to have thinner retinal nerve fiber layers than people in the general population. In theory, regular LASIK, which uses a cutting blade and a suction ring that puts pressure on the optic nerve, would not be the preferred procedure. Instead, a variation of LASIK where the laser cuts the corneal flap without pressure on the optic nerve would be preferred.

MS isn't really the major concern with LASIK, or any other refractive procedure. The concern is that the procedure itself can result in bad outcomes, even when performed by an experienced and talented surgeon. (Kathy Griffin had a bad outcome with a well-qualified surgeon.) Most people do very well, but the bad outcomes can be really bad. People have committed suicide because a bad outcome ruined their lives.

The technique has improved greatly, and there are fewer problems than before. But the outcomes are still somewhat unpredictable. The problems have been bad enough that the FDA has a section about LASIK on its website.

As has been pointed out by other posters, LASIK is a trade-off between needing glasses now and needing glasses later. Glasses might be needed again for best vision in just a few years, or not until after about age 40 or 45, for reading. It's quite rare that a person has great vision at far and near without glasses (it happens only when a precise set of circumstances are present). If you can get by with "workable" vision at far and near without glasses (sometimes called 20/happy), with glasses needed only for specific tasks later, then LASIK is a consideration. It's a sure thing that you'll need glasses for something later in life, so you'll have to decide if you want to go through with the procedure knowing that.

It's possible to do a touch up, but most corneas aren't thick enough to support more than two procedures. Some can't have more than one. It's reasonable to assume that, if the outcome isn't what you wanted, the chances of being able to repair it are only so-so.

I'll second what Craig said about the need to do intensive research and get more than one surgical opinion. Read everything about LASIK on the FDA website: www.fda.gov/lasik. And equally important, do a google search for terms like "bad lasik." You really have to see both sides of the possibilities and decide if the convenience of not having to wear glasses or contacts for awhile is worth the small, but potentially serious, risk of LASIK.

Personally, one of the best decisions I made years ago was to NOT have LASIK. Now that my vision is reduced after years of recurrent optic neuritis, my nearsightedness allows me to take my glasses off and hold something fairly close and be able to see it. If I'd had LASIK, I'd be dependent on fairly strong reading glasses or a magnifier to be able to do the same thing. What would be worse than that would be knowing that I'd paid about $4000 to put myself in that position.

[dm123]

I had it done at a major medical center and not by one of the places that advertise on the radio with "Thursday" specials. The procedure was a cakewalk. I went in, they gave me a 1mg Ativan about 30 minutes before the procedure. Then they mapped out my eye, cut a flap with an instrument kind of like a mini cheese slicer. The laser does it's thing and they fold the flap back over the repair. Go home, take another Ativan and sleep for the rest of the afternoon. Woke up with no pain. The place I had it done said if it wasn't corrected to at least 20/40 they would fix it for free. I had 20/15 and 20/20. It puts big smiles on you face when you wake up at night to go to the bath and you are feeling for you glasses at their usual spot and they are not there. Or in you car, or sliding off your nose if you are active an sweating.

[graybird]

i had it done and think it was the best thing ever!
However as one ages they usually need reading glasses and the surgery doesnt correct that

[smokeycat]

I wanted to have it done but the doc I saw would not do it on me because I had MS. There was a doc 3 hours away that "probably" would but I just need it for distance and it's not that bad. I decided to stick with my glasses. I'm one of those odd people that my close vision improved as I aged. If your vision is bad enough, find you an opthamologist you trust and discuss it with him.

[Kimba22]

That's wonderful news, Loopey!
Did they also replace the lens in your eyes? Just curious.

I've worn glasses since I was 10. Could hardly wait to get contacts (my parents made me wait until I was 16). Can't wear them anymore because too difficult to put in and take out because of spasticity in my hand. Miss not wearing glasses, but am blind as bat without them. Need to find my glasses to find my glasses, lol. Was overdue to get my eyes checked again, but finally had that done last week. Slight change in my vision, which is good because I already have a high prescription. Eyes checked out healthy, too!

I've thought about getting lasik surgery, but it's not a permanent solution and have enough to deal with because of my MS. The last thing I want is more problems if something went wrong. There was a lady from local news channels who committed suicide 3 months after the surgery, because of complications she'd suffered from it. So sad, she also had young children.

I had ON in one eye many years ago (which led to my final and correct Dx) but for years now I still can't see out of that eye very well. I wonder if the laser procedure would help me? I should ask.

Seasha~
Laser surgery won't help damage done from ON, which involves the optic nerve. It is those for who have nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/ or astigmatism. It is used to change the curvature of lens or cornea.

Seasha~There are some bad side effects that are possible. A local news meteorologist committed suicide 3 months after hers was done because of side she suffered from it. So sad, she left behind young children.

Here are some threads that discuss lasik surgery:

https://www.msworld.org/forum/forum/...ik-eye-surgery

https://www.msworld.org/forum/forum/...ik-eye-surgery

https://www.msworld.org/forum/forum/...ery#post112574