These keratotomy procedures have helped a lot of people, but the downside
of these procedures is that around age 50 presbyopia sets in and glasses
are required to see anything close to your eyes. Many persons cannot
afford these procedures until they are in their 40's, then have to start
wearing reading glasses when they are 50, thus having just a few years free
of glasses. For me (mid 50's) wearing no-line bifocals is a lot easier
than on and off with reading glasses all day long.

Dan Logen
Stanwood Wa

----------
> From: osprey at nwinfo.net
> To: TWEETERS at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Eyeglasses, binoculars and LASIK eye surgery
> Date: Monday, July 19, 1999 9:58 PM
>
> After wearing eyeglasses for thirty-six years and birding using
binoculars
> against my glasses for twenty-one years, on June 29 I had LASIK eye
surgery.
> It is an amazing change.
>
> For those who don't know, in LASIK surgery an instrument called a
keratome
> slices the cornea to create a flap which the surgeon then lifts away from
> the rest of the cornea. The laser is brought in to sculpt the remaining
> cornea to flatten it as necessary for myopia (near-sightedness) or create
a
> slight bulge for hyperopia (far-sightedness). The corneal flap is then
> repositioned by the surgeon. In my case, I had to wear soft contacts for
> three hours after surgery to help keep the flap positioned.
>
> The next morning I was seeing 20/25 in both eyes. My vision has become a
> little worse in my right eye to about 20/30 and the left eye has improved
a
> little in the distance. Both eyes are a little blurry inside of thirty
> feet. That is the normal progression of the healing process. Total
healing
> takes up to six months. My optometrist today told me I should be seeing
> very close to 20/20 in both eyes within a couple of months.
>
> I went to Dr. David Lin in Vancouver, B. C., for the surgery. My
> optometrist recommended him as being the best in the northwest plus he
> charges $2400.00 compared to $4000.00 for the best group in Washington.
I
> was very impressed with Dr. Lin and his entire staff. My optometrist is
> very impressed with his work as well, after having checked me for the
second
> time today.
>
> I have gone birding three or four times in the last two weeks and am
> thrilled to be using my binos as they were designed to be used. It is so
> much more comfortable to look through them without having glasses on. It
is
> also wonderful just to be able to walk around without glasses, to be able
to
> read the clock on the bathroom wall when I'm in the shower, to wear
"cool"
> sunglasses for the first time, etc., etc. After having been dependant
upon
> my glasses for my view of the world, it is great to be able to live
without
> them.
>
> If any of you would like more information about my experience, please
feel
> free to e-mail me privately and I will try to answer all questions.
>
> Be sure to say "hi" if you see me out birding. I'll be the guy who is
not
> wearing glasses!
>
> Denny Granstrand
> Yakima, WA
>
> Denny Granstrand
>