So, it's 'open enrollment' time for medical/dental beneifts at Volition, and harl's been thinking about getting Lasik done for the past couple years. We just haven't found any digital artists yet who HAVE had it done, and can tell us if/how it affected their relationship with the pixels.

We have to decide before I *think the end of the month, so please post if you have had this or know someone (artists) who have!

It's not that we couldn't get it done anytime, it would just be nice to be able to use flexible medical spending for it.

Thanks!

Well I do know an artist who had it done to herself. She said it was great at first but slowly her vision began to blur again, though she had it done a fairly long time ago. So they may have improved it some more by now.

So there's nothing really wrong with it, it's just that it may wear off, and he may have to get it again, or go back to glasses/cotacts.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONT

I just saw a documentation the other day on TV saying that it is one of the rare medical treatments that didnt go through any real testing before put on the market. It was basically tested on people. 99 out of 100 go well but if you have big problems with your eyes its not the best thing to do. You can basically go bling even if you have a "healthy" eye.

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik/expect.htm

You propably knew this page allready...
Recovery process seems to be up to 6months, and if i understand correctly its possible to get permanent halos and artefacts like that?

"It is also important to note that no laser company has presented enough evidence for the FDA to make conclusions about the safety or effectiveness of enhancement surgery."
-should sum it up pretty well

My wife almost had Lasik. In the end, for her specific set of circumstances, they recommended 'intra ocular lens treatment' which is a similar process.

Literally a day after the operation once she took the blindfolds off, she could see incredibly sharply. She had -7 in 1 eye and -9 in her other eye and leaped back up to 0.

4 years on and she needs glasses for reading / driving again as 1 eye has degraded to -0.5 and the other to -0.25.

I know you were looking for artists that had it done and the wife of an artist isnt really the same deal but I've certainly seen it make an incredible difference to the qaulity of my wife's eyesight and quality of life and the effects of the operation have lasted a long time.

Well Tins, I have a very close co-worker and her Hubby had it done about 2 years ago to date. He works on computers daily, not game art, but government. It is a success they say and the only drawback is at night he sees little bursts of light now and then. Also one eye lost some of its benifits, but barely, when he went in to get an enhancement on it, free-of-charge, the Doc suggested to not do it, for risk of infection. It cost a pretty penny too, so if your insurance covers it that is very cool. I have considered it for myself, but I have wide screen vision and a family history of detached retinas so I will stick with glasses.

All the reading I have done, Men's Health, LHJ, & the group polled of 600 men, showed 25% suffered from difficult night vision to the bursts of light and only a handful had serious issues, and usually only with one eye.

Well hope I did not scare the poopoo out of Harl.

Goodluck you two Darlings. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I was thinking about it too (about -7 on both eyes)... so if you got anymore infos please post them.

Didn't Mark Forsyth get this done? I'm pretty sure someone on Polycount did, I remember reading a thread about it a while back...

Yea, I had it done. Awesome. Best thing I ever did. I went from some kind of immeasurable near-sightedness to 20/15. The only drawback I have found is that my eyes seem to be <u>slightly</u> more sensitive to light now than they were. So it's more comfortable for me to wear sunglasses outside during daylight.

I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who has the ways and means and is tired of wearing glasses or contacts.

More sensitive? My eyes already have like no pigment, so I have to wear sunglasses all the time. I want to get this done so bad. My eye doctor told me if my eyes keep progressing the way they do (they're bad), I should consider it in the next few years. I haven't done any research at all, so thanks Tins for being curious, I'm gonna read up! And good luck!

A costume designer friend of mine (who doesn't work digitally, but does plenty of traditional rendering) had lasik done years ago, when it first became widely available, and is still raving about it. She's got me convinced!

It's been 8 years or so and I still marvel at it. I had the worst eyes.....maybe 20/600 er sumpin'. My surgery took maybe 15 mins for both eyes and virtually painless. When I was done I saw 20/40....in a month it was 20/20. Now I see the clock by my bed without having to put my face next to it....when I'm in the ocean, swimming I can see my friends...the umbrella and all..CLEARLY!! I used to have to line myself up on a building for cripes sake. It's been like a miracle to me. I've worn glasses for a LONG time. My advice? Investigate the surgeon and facility thoroughly.......when your satisfied, DO IT! [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

i am also considering it this holiday season.

I considered having this proceedure done for awhile myself. When I spoke to my eye-doctor about this, he informed me that while I was a decent candidate for the surgery, I have "thin corneas".
They would need to shave a decent portion of my already thin lens off to correct my vision, and would really only be able to do 1 more "touch up" surgery if necessary several years later. After that, my cornea would be too close to the minimum safe thickness to withstand the fluid pressure in my eye.

I am only 25 years old, and my vision will likely deteriorate further as I age. I have opted to wait for my proceedure until I am at least 30 or older, to maximise my benefit. Plus it was an expense that I would have been just barely out of reasonable reach(I would have had to borrow to have it done, as my insurance doesn't cover this, but instead provides a small discount from certain clinics)

Just something to think about.

I liked your post Sal, good to hear it took so well, I guess when in the ocean then you will see the shark coming too right? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Did anyone go in for the surgery with wild anxiety about having their eyes sliced up, and be pleasantly surprised? I've got the money and the interest, but my personal cringe threshhold is easily broken by the notion of eye damage or surgery and that's all that's keeping me back. I was the one who couldn't watch those scary safety videos from woodshop class without his eyes tearing up and burning. I know it can't be a pleasant procedure, but how weird and uncomfortable is it exactly?

Slightly uncomfortable is all. They use a local anesthetic on your eyes so you can't feel a thing. It's only a bit uncomfortable from the retaining ring they use to keep you from closing your eyes. It's really not bad at all. The place I went actually had a viewing room that my girlfriend watched the procedure from on a monitor. They gave me a CD-ROM of the procedure afterwards but I couldn't get it to run so I could watch it myself, unfortunately.

Scooby: I had thin corneas as well. They didn't say they could only do one touch-up surgery on me though so they must not be as thin as yours.

Maybe one should "wait" until there site is really at a point where one can't do their work as well. Is Harl or you having problems working TNSLB because of your eyesite?

If not... "if it ain't broke".

Satan: I had no anxiety. I told myself years ago that when the surgery was available I would do it...period. They do give you a sort of relaxing beverage....(bourbon? LOL) One of your eyes is covered...the other has a darkening liquid poured in so you can't "see" what's gong on, presumably. They gave me pain pills but they weren't needed. My eyes felt dirty is all. You must fight the urge to rub them at all cost of course. My clinic made special glasses that protected your eye from any physical touching but you could see thru them....sort of louvered. Although when I got my surgery they only had clear lenses you had to tape to your head. LOL You had to wear them to bed for a week. All I can say is it's fantastik. Glasses were such a burden all my life.....yet I must be thankful for them to allow my good vision all those years.

hehe, I don't drink, but it has occured to me that this thing might be easier for me if I were slightly inebriated at the time. I'm glad they anticipate it and take care of that at the office. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Thanks for the anecdotes guys, it's helpful to read what other people thought of it. You know, before the laser slips and I can't read anything ever agaaaaiiinnnn ... Keep 'em coming, if anyone else has stories. I'm sure I can't be the only one considering this but holding back over fear of dirty eyes!