I had the Lasik procedure done about 2 1/2 years ago when I was 45 years
old. My problem was an astigmatism. I too had dry eyes from contacts and
hassled with glasses.

Now 2 1/2 years later, I can say it's the best thing I have ever done for
myself. My vision is 20-15 in one eye and 20-20 in the other. I have noticed
no drop in night vision performance, although I'm new to astronomy, and
really can't compare my "dark sky" vision to what it was before the
procedure. My night driving vision is better than before. Looking through
binoculars is better than ever.

My eyeglasses were bi-focals. As we get older, the muscles that help the
eye focus on close up seeing begin to weaken. Since I had the Lasik, I now
have to carry reading (cheaters) glasses everywhere I go. This is the only
problem, for me, that I find annoying. As far as I know, there is no
procedure to eliminate this problem.

I am still amazed at the things I notice with my new eyes. The detail in a
birds feathers, seeing all the way to the horizon while fishing on the
ocean, scanning the crowd at an Angels baseball game. Not having to ask a
friend if that woman across the room is attractive to name a few. If anybody
has any questions, feel free to email me.

Mike


"John Ford" wrote in message
...
A few years ago (1999 or 2000) there was an extensive thread on this
subject
within SAA that you might still be able to find with a topic search. Most
notably, one or two eye care professionals who were also astronomers
posted
some research data on optical performance of the eye before and after
laser
surgery. As I recall, the post read as an optical test report and the
results were quite scary. Other than the various surgical scars and
after-effects that result in ghost reflections, floater-like symptoms, and
generally-worsened night vision, the degradation in strict optical
performance of the eye was such that for someone who still had
eye-glasses-correctable vision, there was much to lose and little to be
gained.
I was considering the procedure at the time, and I finally concluded that
if
one was "legally blind", or afflicted in some way that was not correctable
by lenses or contacts, then the procedure is justified. Otherwise, I
decided
that getting this procedure done for cosmetic or convenience reasons was
asking for trouble.
Your milage may vary.

John



"Cyberchondriac" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I didn't see any threads already discussing this subject, so I ask:
Does anyone know of any absolute pros or cons regarding Lasik vision
correction where stargazing is concerned ?
I am never happy when wearing my glasses, the eye relief just doesn't
quite
cut it, even in eyepieces with good eye relief, partly because you still
don't have the benefit of the eyeguard cupping your socket and blocking
stray peripheral light.
Contacts don't work well for me either, because my eyes tend to be very
dry,
even with the newer contacts and solutions designed to address that. I
seem
okay at distant viewing with the contacts in (I'm nearsighted, diopter
is
approx -3.25 L and -3.75 R), but if I try and read something or view
something up close, it blurs out, I can't focus. If I pop a contact
out,
of
course, I can read fine print and small things easily.. but distance
viewing
is shot.
There are, of course, other reasons to wish for normal good eyesight,
such
as being able to wake up in the middle of the night and focus without
having
to feel around for eyeglasses, or being able to jump in a pool or lake
and
go swimming without removing glasses, worrying about them getting wet
(mine
smear really bad if wet and I try to clean them without soap - I have an
oily complexion), or, having to remove contacts .. basically, to swim
*confidently*, you wind up having to go without vision correction..
which
makes it impossible to swim confidently.
So, that brings me to Lasik, which as far as I know, is still the most
advanced and best method of surgical vision correction.
I do remember seeing something in this ng about a year ago however, that
stated that due to the corneal flap cut , or maybe the laser itself,
it's
a
baaad thing to do if you're an amateur astronomer.
Could somebody please expound on that, because I'm really thinking about
taking the plunge, and even though for me astronomy's only a part time
hobby, I'd hate to end it.

Thanks
CC