Originally Posted by
grumman41
I’m a few years over fifty and trying to decide what direction to go concerning my vision correction. I’m nearsighted and currently wearing contacts for distance vision. The last few years I noticed my near vision is starting to get worse and I’m thinking about lasik and using readers for close up. I have tried bifocals but don’t really like them for flying.
I have had this discussion with eye doctors but they don’t really seem to understand the situation, just seem more interested in moving on to the next patient.
My main concern with lasik is making my near vision worse, what say you guys?
I think you - rather than your eye doctors - may be the one that doesn’t understand the problem. As TNKDRVR says, LASIK is not without risks. Not just the 1-2% of procedures (Per eye) that don’t result in the desired correction but an even higher percentage of complications including pain, glare, and decreased night vision.
https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/new...-and-the-risks
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/...ration-project
And while the overwhelming majority do get good results, if you are in the underwhelming minority you may be months or years getting back to flying, if you ever do. The usual problem at age 50 is presbyopia, a stiffening of the lens that makes it harder for you to focus, not a change in your refraction.
Successful LASIK will change your refraction permanently, but it won’t stop the presbyopia. You will STILL have to wear glasses while flying - either for near or for distant vision, and I guarantee it will take you AT LEAST six months after surgery to get a Class 1 physical if you try to correct one for distance and the other for near - assuming you can ever get your medical back at all. It takes longer to get your depth perception back after doing that than it does if you just lose one eye and the FAA really doesn’t like people doing that. No matter what, you’ll need glasses for flying.
It’s your body but if I were you I’d get progressive bifocals and learn to love them.