Oh that wonderful Hermann Snellen chart I get to see — somewhat — every year when I go in to check my vision and/or change the prescription of my glasses. Over the years I have found my vision lacking in luster and clarity. I am supposed to wear glasses but I have chosen not to wear them. One, I really don’t like anything on my face, around my eyes, near my ears, it frustrates me and two, I’m just plain too silly to remember where I last laid the things. However, since I’ve been on good ole prednisone, I find myself reaching for the dag blasted things more than I want.
A friend asked me if I considered LASIK, the laser-assisted whatchamahcallit used to correct vision. After a little investigation and particularly after attending a Lupus Foundation of America seminar a few years back, I understood this procedure to be a not so good idea for people with lupus.
Today I stumbled upon an article that confirmed what I thought was true but honestly, I never had any firm proof for my suspicions. In this article found at Wire Service Canada, Dr Boothe describes the “Ideal Candidate for LASIK” and here we go:
Not good candidates:
Oh well, that counts me out. Since I “take drugs or undergo therapy that suppresses your immune system” I’m out of the game. No can do and I certainly don’t want to play around with my vision which is why I’ve chosen not to wear contacts, I have dry eyes.
With that, I will continue looking at folks in the distance not realizing they are folks I know — I will add my soul has been laid to rest on numerous occasions for this oversight — and will continue to extend my arms, bones, etc., hoping I can move items closer or farther as needed. I will also continue to litter my house, car, office, etc. with Dr. Sav-On’s at varying magnifications when ye olde glasses are not available.
Now, I must go and make that appointment with the Snellen chart. I need new glasses before I am cursed out another further for not seeing the flailing arms of a friend in the distance, calling out my name apparently, but I failed see or recognize them. Oy vey!
LasikExpert
1 week ago
The reason that Lasik is contraindicated for a person with Lupus is because the healing of the connective tissue is less predictable.
I work with a nonprofit Lasik patient advocacy. We don’t provide Lasik; we evaluate Lasik results and certify doctors who meet our organization’s requirements.
While it may be possible to have successful Lasik, PRK, or one of the other flavors of laser vision correction, the probability of the outcome is nearly impossible to predict. Unless it is an extreme situation, it is almost always better for someone with an autoimmune disease to avoid any elective surgery that involves connective tissue, and that covers many types of surgery.
There are alternatives to Lasik that may be appropriate, depending upon your age and refractive error.
If you are highly myopic (nearsighted, shortsighted) then a phakic intraocular lens (P-IOL) may be appropriate. This is a “helper lens” that is place inside the eye either just in front or just behind the iris (colored part of the eye).
Another alternative is Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE), which is exactly the same as cataract surgery, except it is for the purpose of reducing the need for corrective lenses. RLE is appropriate only for those over the age of 40 because the ability to change focus from distant objects to near objects is lost after RLE. After age 40 most people start losing this ability – called accommodation – as a natural part of the aging process.
A non-surgical alternative is Orthokeratology (Ortho-K). This is a process of sleeping in rigid contact lenses that reshape your cornea (clear front of the eye) to reduce the need for corrective lenses. Ortho-K is best for people with low amounts of refractive error.
You have many options to consider.
Glenn Hagele
Volunteer Executive Director
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance
http://www.USAEyes.org