From: Larry Sayre 
To: Robert Fifarek 
CC:  atm{at}shore.net
Reply-To: Larry Sayre 


Robert Fifarek wrote:

>This may be off topic a bit and may generate varied discussion, but, I
>like many Ambers where glasses. My vision is not very good without them,
>and I am 44 years old. I have always heard night vision with Lasik
>corrective vision surgery can cause star like patterns at night for those
>who have had the surgery performed, and I have considered doing the
>procedure before. On the other hand, a good friend of mine who is not a
>ATM'er swears by the procedure and does not have any problems with it.
>Has anyone seen any medical article or experience that documents the
>affects of this procedure on night vision? Don't worry, I am not looking
>for a medical opinion or recommendation from anybody on the list! Thanks.
>
>Rob F.
>
>
>
I haven't had the procedure, but I've thought about getting it done. The
main thing holding me back is that the laser cuts are only permitted to be
5 mm in overall length (by law, if I've heard this correctly).  If the
fully dark adapted pupil dialates to greater than 5mm (which is highly
likely) then this is where the defects as you describe above would appear. 
Your friend who has had the procedure has probably never encountered a
situation yet where his pupils have dialated beyond 5mm and he has tried to
critically view something under this condition.  As I'm told, if the cuts
were permitted to be 7 mm, then the vision defects would not be an issue. 
There may be countries beyond our border where you can get this done.

Lawrence Sayre

--
My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a moral being, with his
own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement
as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.

Ayn Rand (in the appendix to 'Atlas Shrugged')

--- BBBS/NT v4.00 MP