#1

ChatGPT - Cheapest LASIK Boston’

Now that life-changing smartglasses/AR may come soon, it may be more impt to ditch the glasses [contacts spread microplastics all around ur eyes]

#2

Myopia correction according to a doctor on Peter Attia means losing benefits of enhanced vision up close, which means more loss of close up vision with aging?

#3

I had “SMILE” which is a less invasive technique (no opening of flap) but has a longer recovery time than LASIK. It’s very, very convenient to not have to wear glasses. That is a major quality of life upgrade.

However, I’ll be honest that my eyes are overall more “problematic” than they used to be. I’m more sensitive to the weather (more prone to dry eyes), getting eye fatigue from computer screens, and my night vision doesn’t seem to be as good as it was with glasses. I don’t know how much of that is from the procedure, and how much is from getting older.

If I could go back in time, I think I would just go for regular, bog-standard LASIK. It’s the most tried and tested, has the longest history and the most long-term outcome data supporting it. It’s also a pretty quick recovery. With my procedure, I honestly found it very stressful wondering if my vision would get better. The first couple days obviously things are very blurry, but after a couple weeks you can see “just fine”, but things weren’t as sharp as when I had glasses. And as weeks go by, it’s very stressful and worrying when I start thinking that it won’t get better. I’m now several years down the line and my long-distance vision is amazing, but there’s a significant psychological cost to SMILE IMO. I’d much rather have gone LASIK and achieved better vision more quickly.

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#4

I had two rounds of LASIK surgery - the first around 2000, the second around 2016.
I had a much better experience and recovery on the second surgery.
Better technology and I used PEMF for recovery.

It gave me great distance vision.

Now the downside…

By 2024 I had developed cataracts and they had reached the point where my eye surgeon recommended surgery.

The issue arose that having had LASIK surgery throws off the calculations for the new lens implants.

The LASIK “factory” places don’t tell you this (maybe in the very fine print of disclosures, but I certainly didn’t remember it).

One might address this if you got your LASIK from a surgeon that also does cataract surgery so they could measure your eyes properly and keep your records in anticipation of possible future cataract surgery.

Regarding cataract surgery outcome:

  • Clarity of vision like lifting of a veil.
  • Accurate color vision - related to the 1st point but different in my mind.
  • Visual acuity - not as good as I hoped.

I also discovered another issue a year after the surgery, I could slip into double vision.
Lenses with prisms help address this and I now use both reading and distance glasses.

The distance ones work better. Not really happy with the reading glasses.

Still, I do see better all-in-all after the cataract surgery.

Maybe Tleilaxu eyes.

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#5

I honestly don’t know what kind I received because it was all the way back in 2010 and I was pretty young when I did it too (I didn’t think they’d even approve me), so I’m not sure this is very helpful but my eyesight is still great 15 years later.

#6

Greetings
A large number of people who have LASIK have subsequent issues with decreased eye comfort and vision quality as discussed above… dry eyes being a major issue.
If you are pushed towards LASIK, I would recommend considering clear lens extraction with Intra Ocular Lens Placement… basically cataract surgery without the cataract.
It may cost more than LASIK, but you are likely to be happier with the result.
Retired Ophthalmologist

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#7

PRK?

Good question — and it’s actually really important to understand what that “47% stronger” claim about SMILE-treated corneas means. Let’s break it down carefully:

:star2: 1. Context: LASIK, SMILE, and Corneal Strength

• LASIK cuts a large flap (~20mm wide) in the front layers of the cornea (the stroma).

• Even though it heals, the flap never fully regains the original mechanical strength.

• This makes LASIK-treated corneas weaker and more vulnerable to trauma (e.g., eye pokes, impacts).

• SMILE doesn’t create a big flap. Instead, it makes a small keyhole incision (~2–4mm) and removes a tiny disc (a “lenticule”) from inside the cornea.

• Because SMILE preserves more of the corneal front surface and nerves , it maintains more of the cornea’s original strength .

:star2: 2. What “47% Stronger” Technically Means

In one prominent study (source), researchers measured the biomechanical strength of corneas after LASIK and SMILE.

• They used devices like corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor tests to assess the elasticity, resilience, and stiffness of the cornea.

• Result: On average, SMILE-treated corneas resisted deformation about 47% better than LASIK-treated ones .

In other words:

• If a LASIK cornea loses, say, 30–40% of its original strength,

• a SMILE cornea might lose only ~20–25%.

• Thus SMILE leaves the cornea much closer to its natural, pre-surgery mechanical toughness.

:star2: 3. Why It Matters

• Trauma Resistance: After LASIK, a strong hit (e.g., sports injury, fall) could rarely dislodge the flap years later. SMILE patients are much less prone to this risk.

• Long-Term Stability: Corneal diseases like ectasia (a thinning and bulging of the cornea, like a balloon) are much rarer after SMILE compared to LASIK.

• Dry Eye Risk: SMILE cuts fewer nerves, so there’s lower risk of chronic dry eyes than LASIK.

PRK, by the way, preserves strength even better than SMILE (because no cuts inside the cornea at all), but PRK has a longer healing process.

:star2: 4. Quick Analogy

Imagine your cornea is a tent:

Surgery What Happens to the Tent Strength After Surgery
LASIK You cut a huge door flap into the tent. Weaker, easier to tear.
SMILE You make a tiny slit and pull out a small chunk inside. Much stronger, tent mostly intact.
PRK You lightly sand the outer tent fabric without cutting inside. Strongest tent structure preserved.

Bottom Line:

“SMILE-treated corneas are ~47% stronger than LASIK-treated corneas” means that, biomechanically, SMILE leaves your eye much more resilient to pressure, trauma, and long-term weakening than LASIK does.

If you’re concerned about sports , injuries , or corneal health 20–30 years down the line , SMILE or PRK are safer bets than LASIK.

Would you want me to show you a visual comparison of the flap vs keyhole cut too? :chart_with_upwards_trend: It’s really striking.

#8

My wife had lasik in 2001 and she has really enjoyed not needing glasses.

I had cataract surgery on both eyes in 2022, got new lenses and no more glasses, freakin amazing!! A free procedure up here in the great white north :slight_smile:

We both use “cheaters” for reading, mine are 1.25 so not much is required to make it more comfortable. I can read without them but have to strain just a bit too much for comfort.

Glasses suck LoL!

#9

FWIW, with the kind I had, it isn’t possible to have contacts after that. I can see distance pretty well, but not perfectly now.

#10

I wish I could remember the details to be more helpful, but just as a word of caution, I see a bougie eye doc, and while he is pro lasik, he said certain people should never consider it… I being one of them.

I could text him and have remind me why if that would be useful to anyone (I won’t bother him otherwise).