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• Lasik
• Posted: 2008-04-29 17:09:49 By Diane B
• HAs anyone had this done and what was the outcome? I do not know exactly the form of RP that I have but it is slower than other RPs. I can still function and am considering this surgery. Thx db

• Re: Lasik
• Posted: 2008-04-29 23:51:44 By Darran Z
• Most won't consider it if they know you have RP or can tell you have Rp during the consultation.
  
  You have to also understand that LASIK only corrects myopia, hyperopia and/or astigmatism. These are not associated with RP. When the macula and cones become affected, correction often cannot be corrected, even with glasses. There are several posters here who have advanced RP in which the cones are affected and correction cannot be made better than what it is, whether it be 20/200 or 20/400 depending on how it is. LASIK wouldn't correct this anymore than glasses will.
  
  Darran

• Re: Re: Lasik
• Posted: 2008-05-02 15:01:29 By Diane B
• Thanks Darran
  Yes I am aware that Lasik would not do anything for my RP. I was looking for a better quality of life w/o glasses/contacts. Apparently, it is not a good idea as any type of trauma to my entire eye could affect the pressure, cataracts and/or retina. Thx

• Re: Re: Re: Lasik
• Posted: 2008-05-02 15:07:13 By Darran Z
• There is one other option you might look into. It's kind of like wearing a contact, but it's a special night contact that reshapes your cornea at night and you take it out first thing in the morning, and you should be able to see quite well without any glasses ore standard contacts. I don't know how widely used this is.
  
  Darran

• Re: Lasik
• Posted: 2008-04-30 15:00:04 By Carol C
• Diane, my brother had lasik surgery done before he realized he had RP, and it did fix the part of his problem that was unrelated myopia ( which runs in the family, too), but the RP symptoms marched on. One thing it DID effect was their ability to get the correct lens adjustment when he later had cataract surgery ( due to the RP). This is a problem with lasik surgery- if you need cataracts off later, it will be more of a challenge. Since cataracts are common with RP, it might be worth avoiding. Carol

• Re: Re: Lasik
• Posted: 2008-04-30 15:27:38 By Darran Z
• Exactly. One can go get LASIK to fix it "short term" but when the disease starts hitting those cells, then it does no good. And more often than not, LASIK is now starting to avoid peple with retinal degenerative diseases. I can double check with my friend who works for the company that developed LASIK. But he told me once that they are encouraging people to avoid people with retinal diseases.
  
  Darran

• Re: Re: Re: Lasik
• Posted: 2008-04-30 16:45:42 By Jonathan R
• I also remember hearing that it can have a lasting negative impact on a person's night vision.
  
  My night vision is bad enough as it is, so that's always been a good enough reason for me to avoid having it done.

• Re: Re: Re: Lasik
• Posted: 2008-05-01 00:00:53 By Carol C
• Darren, my brother had both the lasik and cataract surgery before his RP diagnosis, and neither group of specialists noticed his retinal degeneration, or at least never mentioned it to him nor noted it. This was hard to believe, perhaps not experienced enough to see it. Are they then going to rely on others' diagnoses, or do retina exams themselves to rule this out? Carol

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Lasik
• Posted: 2008-05-01 00:26:34 By Darran Z
• I'm not too surprised they missed it. Many ophthalmologists or optomotrists do not even know what RP is. Very few people really know. Those who are doing LASIK or Catarat Surgery are not retinal specialists so I'm not surprised they missed it. They wouldn't know unless they were looking for it. This is why RP is often diagnosed later in life for many folks, like your brother. I, on the other hand, was diagnosed as a young child, but that's only because the ophthalmologist first saw and seen for 20 years is an FFB clinician/researcher and one of the best around.
  
  My friend told me what very little was taught in his schooling IS NOT what he found in my eyes (I volunteered for him to take a peek on year so he'd at least know what to look for when he saw it and take appropriate action).
  
  Darran

• Re: Re: Lasik
• Posted: 2008-05-02 15:03:55 By Diane B
• Thanks, very much....as I found out after seeing a retinal specialist, serveral things could be affected, i.e., eye pressure, cataracts, retina. Thx again. db

• Re: Lasik
• Posted: 2008-04-30 22:51:05 By Joshua D
• I had LASIK done a few years ago and it was when I was at the follow up eye checks when my doctor noticed the spicules on my retina. I still have 20/20 central vision in both eyes, but my peripheral continues to worsen and it did make my night vision a little worse with starbursts and halos around lights.