After several years of wearing contact lenses contentedly, I have decided to start thinking about Lasik. Before I used to think, why on earth would I want surgery when contact lenses do the trick? Surgery is expensive. Now, I am thinking, contact lenses are expensive too! And the thought of waking up and being able to see the clock is wonderful. I also like the idea of being able to swim and not worry about contacts.

I have been wearing glasses since 3rd grade. I'm now a freshman in college. I'm 19. I need to get new glasses every year because my eyes get worse. I know you need to be stable to get Lasik, but my eye doctor said some doctors will occasionally do surgery on people who's eyes keep getting worse to correct what they have now, and stop it from getting even more worse. He said right now my eyes are where they want them to be for surgery.

I just got new glasses yesterday, and my current prescription is -4.0 in one eye, and -3.75 in the other, with a slight astigmatism in one eye (not sure which one).

So, any thoughts on the procedure? Which laser procedure is best? Just how much does it cost? Anyone see any reason why I couldn't have it (other than my eyes keep getting worse and I'm a little young)?

I would not get the procedure if my eyes were still changing. My SIL had hers done at 24 yrs old and then 4 years later was back in glasses. She is very frustrated by this, but hesitant to go back and have her surgery redone, since she had dry eye problems following her surgery.

Has your eye dr suggested rigid gas permeable contacts? I don't know if it is a fact or not (I am no expert!) but when I was young my eyes were changing so rapidly that my dr. suggested I wear the rigid gas permeable contacts; he said that because they were rigid they would help prevent my eyes from changing so much. And he was right - I wore the SAME pair of contacts for ten years! And I would have continued wearing them had I not broke one!! After that I was never able to find another pair quite as comfortable as the first pair. Anyhow, it is worth investigating, especially when your eyes are continuing to change so much.

I have heard that about RGP contacts, and my doctor said that it's a myth, and since I'm already in soft ones, he would never recommend me going to RGPs because I would have a hard time adjusting. He said he doesn't recommend them for anyone. Sounds more economical though! Anyways, a different eye doctor told me I will stop changing when I get out of college. Seems like a long time though!

I am getting a lasik consolation appointment and over the phone they said your eyes must be stable for *three* years and they also said my age of 23 makes me a poor candidate as lasik is for "older people" ah well after reading its risks I have lost alot of interest in it anyway so im in no hurry. I do have interest in intacs, maybe you can do the same, itll correct -3 of your pescription making everything far clearer

It will only correct to -3? So I won't be able to get out of glasses, just need smaller glasses? That stinks.

Hey, I had lasik about three weeks ago. I thought about getting it done in college (i'm 23 now) but I couldn't afford it then so it wasn't really an option. I may be way off, but to me it seems that all the reading I had to do in high school and college may have contributed to my bad vision in the first place. My prescription changed every year until I finished college, then it stabilized.

As far as I know, lasik does nothing to prevent future changes in vision. If your eyes were going to get worse, they still will after lasik. That's why most doctors advise you to wait until you're 21 or so. I would definitely recommend lasik to anyone who is sick of glasses and contacts, but honestly right now I'm not sure if I'd be willing to spend five hours studying for a midterm. All I would be thinking about was how I was destroying my vision all over again.

I first will disclaim in that I am not a doctor, but I have to disagree with studying contributing to bad vision. My vision changed rapidly from when I was about 8 to 11 years old, then basically has changed very little since then. I was in university for 7 years (with LOTS of studying as I studied science and engineering), then have worked extensively with computers since then (now at 35 years old). I think vision changes because you are still "growing" into your 20s. That is my opinion, anyhow!

to me it seems that all the reading I had to do in high school and college may have contributed to my bad vision in the first place. My prescription changed every year until I finished college, then it stabilized.

One eye doctor, who is not my normal doctor, said that my vision will stop changing after college, and that is because of reading and the fact that you stop growing. But gee, I hope my eyes are the only thing that are still growing, because I'm 6 feet tall!