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Back in October I had Lasik eye surgery.  No doubt, there is risk.  I had it
done about a year after a good friend had this same procedure.  Since his
procedure he has conducted many dives in the 130' to 300' range.  He has had
no problems.

There is risk in any operation.  I weighed the risks and rewards and after
the procedure I still have my close-up vision (many people do not ... you'll
lose it at some point anyway).  My eyes were not bad, but I needed glasses
to drive and always wore them.  I now have 20/10 vision (I also had 20/10
with glasses) and had that within a month after the surgery.  I was cleared
to dive a month after the surgery, but elected to stay dry for two months.
The only thing I notice is that my eyes seem to dry out quicker than they
did in the past.  I should note that Alaska is a very, very dry climate due
to the cold.  The deepest I've been since the surgery is 180'.

You are awake throughout the procedure which takes about 15 minutes for both
eyes.  After the procedure, you MUST follow a regiment of eye drops of
different varieties.  Your eyes get dry very quickly and they must be kept
moist.  You will also be very, very light sensitive initially and it will
subside daily.  Your vision will improve over a month's time.

The operation itself is painless, although a fair amount of pressure is
placed over you eye during the "slicing".  You'll hear the laser fire and
smell your tissue burning during the process.

I also have another friend who went to the same doctor that I did and he
will be going back for a second "slice and burn".  It is better to be under
corrected than over corrected in this procedure.

It has nothing to do with DIR.  It is a lifestyle choice that has risks,
just like diving.  No regrets here.  Talk to as many people as you can and
research the facility thoroughly before making a decision.

It took me about two weeks to stop looking for my glasses when I got up in
the morning.  I would forget that I could see the clock.

Patrick

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