LASIK SURGERY & ALPINE CLIMBING

There have been previous posts on Lasik surgery and how it affects climbing. For this thread, all I want are quick survey type responses:

1) What year did you have surgery?
2) What (if any) problems have you experienced?
3) Overall, are you happy you did it?
4) Has it affected your climbing experiences in any way?
5) [edit] Any effects at high altitude (10,000ft+) or in dry mountain environments?

Hoping that this simple, streamlined information can help myself and others decide whether or not to get it....

1) November 2010
2) My eyes tend to get a little dry but its not a big deal
3) Yes... I would make the same choice again.
4) It has made all of my activities more enjoyable, not just climbing. I was one who could never sleep in my contacts; it would make my eyes dry and hurt. So not having to fiddle with glasses or contacts when climbing or camping was a huge benefit to me.

1) May 2014
2) A bit of dryness sometimes.( nothing preservative free eye drops can't fix)
3) LASIK is a modern miracle, I have 20/20 now and wore glasses/contacts for 20 years prior.
4) It has streamlined my adventure/ travel process as well as the added benefit of my surgeon being a climber to answer all my questions. I was bouldering joes and climbing rifle a week after. (Don't be fooled though, LASIK is surgery. Your eyes need time to recover and gain strength.)

Good luck !

Could we add another question?

5) How old were you when you had lasik

I've heard that you need to wait til a certain age as your eyes are still developing. I've heard varying answers for what that "certain age" is.

1) 2009
2) Some dryness for the first year, zero issues after that
3) Absolutely. One of the best decisions I ever made
4) Having done a handful of high-altitude, expedition-style climbs, I can't imagine having had to deal with contacts/glasses/etc. Total game changer.
5) 29

Eric Thomas wrote: I've heard that you need to wait til a certain age as your eyes are still developing.

I think you meant to say "eyes are still deteriorating" :-)

Don't want to hijack the thread, but can anyone comment on how lasik works for those of us who are nearsighted and also need reading glasses? I switch between various contact strengths to optimize my vision for climbing or work, but the whole contact thing isn't working as well as it used to.

1. 2004
2. Zero problems. I've never needed drops.
3. Yes, one of the best things i've ever done.
4. It is worth it for the cheap sunglasses alone. Waking up momentarily while bivied and seeing the stars crystal clear sounds small, but it was just an amazing experience that first time. No more fogged up glasses inside ski goggles was a game changer for me.
5. I was 26 at the time.

My brother had a less good experience. His eyes were terrible - he was effectively blind without glasses. He got the surgery despite being told he was only borderline as a candidate for LASIK. His vision deteriorated quite a bit after a few years and he ended up getting them redone with PRK, which has worked out well for him. I'd take it seriously if they tell you that you are a questionable candidate, and consider PRK instead.

1) 2010-ish
2) Some dryness early on but nothing since. At times I have felt my eyes are more sensitive to dirt or being "scratched" but my local eye doctor (who had nothing to do with the LASIK) insists that it may be more my own sensitivity or hyper awareness about my eyes.
3) Absolutely
4) It's only made them better because I no longer have to worry about contacts, dirty or infected eyes, dropping glasses, etc. (all of which I had happen on climbs).
5) I was about 34 when I had the PRK surgery done.

2010.
None.
YES!
Yes! I can see better!

Do it!

I was 39 when I had LASIK. I am anticipating the need for reading glasses in the next several years for myself or another LASIK procedure because (from what I understand/remember) your cornea continues to loose it's shape. My distance vision is still great.

Quick question: I heard somewhere that LASIK makes you more susceptible to snow blindness. Is this a large concern outside of the greater ranges?

surgery in 04
Some initial dry eyes but that cleared up and no other problems
Very happy with it and would do it again in a heartbeat
I'm 50 now and need readers to read the guidebooks/MP app, otherwise no issues with climbing (rock, ice or mountaineering up to 19k feet-highest I've been). Not having to worry about keeping contacts clean in the backcountry is huge for me, well worth it for that alone.

Anybody heard of "PRK". My buddy was telling about it. Supposedly longer initial recovery but better results and cheaper I believe.

This is a great thread. What do you think the average cost of Lasik is?

1) Had PRK surgery 2013. I was 27
2) I had frequent dry eyes for about 6 months. Now I only get it sometimes if I sleep poorly or drink heavily or do either in a desert environment.
3) I'm pretty happy. One less thing for me to think or worry about.
4) My vision wasn't terrible, so I just never used contacts or wore glasses on climbs. I would often rely on my partners eyesight to look for rock features or distant landmarks. Now I am more self reliant, can spot cairns much better.

1) June 2014
2) Glare at night. One of the more common side effects. Nothing terrible once I got used to it and it seems to be getting better, but it was kind of disorienting at first.
3) Yes, but if I had to do it again, I'd probably wait. I just didn't have enough issues with contacts to justify the cost ($3.4k for both eyes).
4) Camping is easier and more enjoyable, but I haven't noticed any changes with climbing itself.
5) 24

1) LASIK in 2007

2) Nighttime driving got harder (car headlights are blurry). Also, my vision never really stopped getting worse, so LASIK was like a reset (from -7.5 diopters to absolutely perfect eyesight) and then my vision started slipping again. I need glasses now for distance (like watching powerpoint presentations, driving).

3) Yes, despite needing to wear glasses occasionally now.

4) Not having to bring contacts/prescription glasses+sunglasses on camping/climbing trips, especially for backpacking/backcountry? HUGE improvement.

5) I was 25.
Regarding age, the eye doctor had told me that myopia usually stabilizes in the mid-20's and my prescription had been stable for a year, but it was just wishful thinking. My eyeballs were definitely still changing....but I'm told I could get a LASIK touch-up if I want to reset my prescription back to perfect.

Hindsight being 20/20 (har har) I actually STILL might not have waited any longer to get LASIK. It was a good decision and has brought me 8 wonderful years of excellent to still pretty decent eyesight.

Eric Rich wrote:There have been previous posts on Lasik surgery and how it affects climbing. For this thread, all I want are quick survey type responses: 1) What year did you have surgery? 2) What (if any) problems have you experienced? 3) Overall, are you happy you did it? 4) Has it affected your climbing experiences in any way? 5) [edit] Any effects at high altitude (10,000ft+) or in dry mountain environments? Hoping that this simple, streamlined information can help myself and others decide whether or not to get it....

Had the surgery in 1999

No problems at all

Extremely happy. Life altering experience (for the positive)

Made climbing so much easier. Much less issues with fogging/sweat etc on my prescription glasses/goggles etc.

No negative experiences at all in dry mountain environments up to 15k feet

I actually finally decided to get lasik because of climbing. Pre-dawn alpine climbing with frozen/frosted up glasses and poor vision made me take the leap. One of the best decisions I've ever made. Life is so much better in so many ways with good vision.

Thanks for this thread. Been thinking about it much more lately.

Another question I'd add:

6/7) How much did it cost?

I've heard the ballpark estimates, but I'm curious what people actually paid and if the costs have gone down or are relatively stable.

Excellent thread. Maybe I should investigate. The comment about "waking up and seeing the stars perfectly" really persuaded me.

Eric,

1) ~2006
2) Minor glare at night. Some dry eye -- but I had that before surgery. Some minor clouding when they are dry.
3) One of the best decisions I ever made.
4) High altitude mountaineering -- much less of a PITA and dealing with contacts when you're going weeks without showers. No more dirt under the gas permeable contact pain.
5) No.

I did PRK, after extensive research -- specifically around high altitude mountaineering. There is no real question that other than post-recovery (and it is about a week of uncomfortable recovery), it is a far superior surgery than LASIK. No risk of flap complications (infection, tear, etc), no risk of knocking a flap loose later (sometimes occurs a decade or more later), structurally stronger and less prone to being affected at altitude. You see, with PRK they ablate the top of the cornea, whereas with Lasik, they cut the flap, and remove part of the center. Admittedly, it's not as sweet and sexy of a surgery as lasik, as it takes some time, versus instant gratification.

If you go with lasik, they can hinge the flap at the nose or at the top. if hinged at the top, they cut the two nerves, one coming in from each side of the eye. If they hinge at the nose, they typically only cut one. What this means is potentially less moisture issues. However, if moisture is an issue, consider punctual plugs (silicone plugs that they just press into your tear duct -- non surgical).

2 articles to consider reading, that are specific to corrective eye surgery and high altitude. I spoke to both authors:

"Effect of high-altitude exposure on myopic laser in situ keratomileusis" David Boes, MD.

"The Ascent of Mount Everest Following Laser in situ Keratomileusis" Jason Dimming, Geoff Tabin.

Less important, but worth reading: "Effects of exercise on ocular health" Emma Hilton.

Tabin was the first to climb the 7 summits via carstenz pyramid... as a med student, switched into ophthalmology after visiting the Khumbu, and seeing what impact could be made there... has had quite the impact fixing eyes in the region, and started cureblindness.org -- interesting stuff.

Talked with both Tabin and Boes -- sounds like Lasik is a respectable option at altitude. PRK is a bit more solid.

Good luck. If you need a copy of those articles, PM me.

Cheers

1) 2010
2) I had a minor complication, diffuse lamellar keratinitis. Basically my immune system over reacted to nothing causing inflammation and I had to take more eye drops than most people.
3) Extremely, not having glasses is awesome.
4) It made me more comfortable. I was always afraid of loosing my glasses, especially on multi-pitch.
5) The year I has lasik I climbed mt. Rainier, the grand teton, and several other mountains over 10,000 ft. I never had any issues.

Jason N. wrote:Thanks for this thread. Been thinking about it much more lately. Another question I'd add: 6/7) How much did it cost? I've heard the ballpark estimates, but I'm curious what people actually paid and if the costs have gone down or are relatively stable.

In my research, it costs between $1k and $6k for both eyes. Every place I considered would offer a free initial screening to see if you're a candidate and what you could expect, so I'd recommend going to a few and seeing what they have to say.

I had the initial screening at two different doctors. One was $3.4k for the surgery and a $200 appointment that my insurance picked up. The other was $5k. I went with the cheaper one.

The more expensive one was using state of the art equipment, but my procedure was fairly straightforward. I didn't feel that the extra cost was justified in my case. If you have an astigmatism or a thinner cornea, it might be worth paying extra to get the latest and greatest.

You can also go cheaper than that. I think there's a place around here that will sometimes do it for something like $500 an eye, but honestly, we're talking about eyesight here -- I wanted a reasonable price, but I didn't want to go with the bargain place, either. YMMV

Something I wish I did: You can pay for LASIK with an FSA, so you could save a decent amount by spending that money pre-tax. With a health FSA, it's funded upfront, too, so you wouldn't need to wait an entire year for your FSA to get funded before doing it. Just make sure you're actually a candidate before you do it since you could lose that money if you don't end up using it.