SummitPost.org

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? Did you have Lasik or PRK?
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. 2011
2. Dry eyes and significant halos at night (makes driving difficult - especially if it's snowing or the roads are wet)
3. 50/50 - I hated wearing contacts/glasses but I hate the halos and dry eyes. Waking up every morning with 20/10 vision is pretty nice though.
4. Not really, my eyes are REALLY dry after windy winter days though. The best part (IMO) is not having to fiddle with trying to get contacts in when out in the backcountry over night.

1. May 2014. LASIK with correction of higher order aberrations (no halos or starbursts)
2. Some dry eyes but not more than before the surgery when I wore contact lenses. Just remember to blink.
3. I am very happy
4. It's awesome being able to wake up and go and not have to fiddle with contacts and solutions, especially when it's very cold.

To date I've been as high as 14,505' (4421m) had have not experienced any noticeable shift in visual acuity.

1. April 2007. lasik
2. I will get the halo in my right eye if I am driving at night when it is very dark but this maybe occurs once a year
3. Very happy. No regrets at all.
4. It has not caused any issues with mountain climbing. I have been to 20800ft without any issues.

1) Lasik, 2003
2) My eyesight was great for two years, then began to deteriorate (to where it was before and where it remains)
3) No, I actually got rough with my doctor and he gave me a 50% refund... (I was PISSED)
4) No, just a pain in the ass to change contacts on a climbing trip...
5) Not really, the higher you go, (in theory) the more sterile the environment becomes... I had no problems in Alaska, Alps, or Peru, but I think a prolonged expedition to Himalaya of Africa could be problematic... (just to keep clean and sterile)...

(I know I'm the 1% that it doesn't work for... I'm pissed, but what can I do? I know 99/100 people are glad they did it...)

1) What year did you have surgery? Did you have Lasik or PRK?

Lasik in 2000.

2) What (if any) problems have you experienced?

None, other than my eyes seem to be slightly more light sensitive (though I don't know if this was due to Lasik).

3) Overall, are you happy you did it?

Very happy.

4) Has it affected your climbing experiences in any way?

It makes it better since I don't have to wear contacts and glasses.

5) [edit] Any effects at high altitude (10,000ft+) or in dry mountain environments?

None that I know of. I've climbed hundreds of mountains above 10,000 feet (and dozens between 16,000 and 21,000) feet with no problems.

1. Got it in 2001. PRK.
2. No problems other than minor dry eyes at times; I use eye drops periodically. I had halos and some photo-sensitivity for a few months (?) after, but they gradually resolved. They were never a significant issues.
3. Incredibly happy with it. At the time I worked outdoors almost every day, often sweaty and in the rain. Not having to wear glasses was just a God send. And it's far better than contacts for obvious reasons.
4. Not having to wear glasses has been great on mountains. I can wear sunglasses or goggles without loss of vision. Not having to carry (and worry about) glasses on the mountain is awesome too. Plus, I look much cooler in selfies without glasses. Let's be real.
5. No issues at altitude. I chose PRK because it was considered safer in high-wind environments (parachuting) because of the absence of a linear scar (that's what the docs told me, anyway). It was more painful than Lasik (several friends went that route) but I'd do it again (and in fact might as my eyes continue to slowly change).

1. iLasik in 2013.
2. Halos at night, didn´t see a lot of volume in the dark in the first six months. Back to normal now.
3. Absolutely. Wish I had done it earlier.
4. Only affected them for the best. Less stuff to take up the mountains and more agility
5. None.

1. Lasik, 2003
2. Dry eyes sometimes, usually when I first wake up.
3. Absolutely yes. Thrilled with it for the past 12 years now.
4. Not at all, only made things easier, as all the others have reported.
5. I've never noticed any issues at altitude.