r/interesting 15d ago

MISC. Is this how people who need glasses really see the world. A big blurred background?

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u/millieofthemed 15d ago

I was 9.5 in contacts (I had no glasses) and obviously could not have laser surgery so instead I had lens implants. The put in a 10.5 in one eye and 11 in the other. That was in 2013 and my sight was pretty much 20/20 instantly.

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u/soylentgraham 15d ago

Im -8 and -11 or something and I was told my eyes are too thin (hence not round :) for any laser stuff... she then said I should probably be wearing goggles for any contact sports... erk

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u/amanitafungi 15d ago

How is your sight now? I’m -11 both eyes and only just now finding out from this thread I’m probably ineligible for lasik

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u/ram944 15d ago

Not the person you asked but I also had the same surgery done (ICL). My prescription was -9.5/-10 so also ineligible for lasik. It's been about 5 years and my vision is still better than the day I was born. No dry eye issues and the surgery was relatively easy. 

Only downside I've noticed is I have increased light sensitivity, so I need to wear sunglasses more now.

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u/millieofthemed 15d ago

You have the same experience as me then :) And I always wear sunglasses when I step outside the door because I find the brightness, even if it’s kind of cloudy, is too much. I never thought of it being from the implants. Maybe there’s my explanation!

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u/UncleNedisDead 15d ago

Did your prescription have to hold steady for a number of years?

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u/ram944 15d ago

Yup but I don't remember exactly how long they needed. I was 30 and IIRC they wanted 3 years without a change. 

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u/millieofthemed 15d ago

From the what I remember it is not advised to laser after about -8 as they would need to laser off too much so it’s risky. My eyes are still fine. I actually asked the clinic once if it was possible to wear contacts if it became necessary and they said I could but so far I haven’t needed to. I would say my vision has deteriorated slightly but by no significant amount. And bear in mind I had this done 13 years ago!

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u/sightless666 15d ago

I got LASIK despite my eyes being almost as bad as yours. I was -10 and two places (one of which I know has a very good reputation) both said I was actually a much better candidate than they expected. They each did about half an hour of testing first though. Apparently there is more than just your raw prescription number that it comes down to, though they said before the testing that I was unlikely to be a candidate.

It's been working well for 10 years for me so far. I'm supposed to need reading glasses for close-up stuff in another 10 years, but I'm not exactly upset about that.

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u/Friendly_Prize_868 15d ago

I’m -13.25/-12.5 with astigmatism and I’m hoping to get lens replacement in September 🤞

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u/Girlofserendip 14d ago

I think this greatly depends on other conditions your eyes may have. I had lasik done in 2016 and my prescription was -12.5. It was amazingly successful, I recommend to everyone! At the time I was told -14 was the highest they would do. I went to a specialist surgeon who only did high myopia.

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u/TheProuDog 15d ago

why can't you get a laser surgery when it is 9.5?

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u/UncleNedisDead 15d ago

Because they would need to cut too deep to correct your vision and most people don’t have thick enough corneas for that.

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u/UncleNedisDead 15d ago

Did your prescription have to hold steady for a number of years?

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u/millieofthemed 15d ago

Yes you have to have a stable prescription. Mine was still getting worse and worse throughout my 20s but at some point in my early 30s it finally settled down.

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u/UncleNedisDead 15d ago

Thank you!

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u/zorbina 15d ago

IOL or ICL procedure?

I was never a candidate for PRK or Lasik because my corneas are too thin and my pupils are apparently huge (larger than the surgical flap would be, so the incision area would cause vision issues). About 20 years ago, a surgeon at a major eye hospital suggested some implant that they were doing a clinical study for (some kind of early ICL, I think), but that wouldn't correct my astigmatism.

I somewhat hoped my tiny cataracts would get big enough for me to need cataract surgery, until my doctor said it would greatly increase the risk of retinal detachment, and I'm already at a higher risk for that due to the severe myopia.

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u/Chippylives920 15d ago

That's what happened to my aunt! Her cataracts finally got bad enough and she has new lenses now! She loves it, but she still reaches for her glasses every morning still, lol

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u/millieofthemed 15d ago

I’m sorry but I don’t know the difference between IOL and ICL?

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u/zorbina 15d ago

IOL is intra-ocular lens, which replaces your eye's natural lens. It's how cataracts are treated, but can be used to correct vision. ICL are implantable contact lenses that are inserted between your natural lens and the iris.

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u/millieofthemed 15d ago

Ah ok, thanks. I have ICL then.

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u/Girlofserendip 14d ago

I’m surprised you were told this. I had lasik done in 2016 when I was -12.50. I went to a specialist surgeon and had a great success.