If you wear 'em which do you prefer, glasses or contacts?

[SIFU1A]

I can only tell you what I've heard, I'm not a pilot. Pilots (at least air force pilots) must have 20/20 vision to begin training, and I don't think they accept candidates with corrective surgery. However, I believe (This is hearsay but I've heard it enough in the right circles) that a pilot with vision that started fine and later deteriorated can use the PRK version of corrective surgery for "repairs" and get a waiver to remain on flight duty.

EDIT: This does not include fighter pilots, flight medical doesn't trust repaired tissue to deal with the extreme g-forces...even though no accidents have happened, I'm guessing they want to do more research before approval.

a bud of mine flys helicopters in the nat'l guard (or did till '04 when he retired) and the above is 100% accurate, he had the surgery done in his 40's after 20 yrs in, he told me that air force guys who fly fighters cant get it due to g- force. also the flight doctors can tell if ya have had the surgery, which i didnt think they could,

 

[Dr. Thor]

I've worn glasses for aboyt 7 years, since I was 10. Last year I got contacts because I got into martial arts. For sparring/grappling, they are great. but the rest of the time they are just a pain. I only wear them to class, and if I wanna look "cool".

 

[MikeH]

I wore glasses until about age 35, (very nearsighted) then moved to contacts for the last 24 years and have never regretted it. I was having to get new eyeglasses about once a year due to deteriorating vision, and the contacts largely halted this.

I use the gas permeable rigid contacts, and love the things. I never could use soft lenses, as they dried out too much during the day.

My distance vision is much better than 20/20 with contacts. Usually, when my correction finally needs changing, the doctor informs me that I still have 20/20, but I advise him that I am spoiled and want it better. I instruct the optometrist to maximize my distance vision, not to try to balance near vision and far vision. I use the cheap Wal-Mart specials for close-up and reading.
(Last time I got in on a closeout deal and got two pair for $11.95 or thereabouts.) I am very satisfied with this arrangement.

 

[RedEdge77]

I've had glasses since about 4th or 5th grade. I don't mind wearing them at all. I usually wear contacts though. The only thing i don't like about contacts is that if you get a speck of dirt or anything in your eye its a pain in the a$$.

For those of you who have had corrective surgery: Are there any side effects of it?

 

[Sryth]

I've had glasses since about 4th or 5th grade. I don't mind wearing them at all. I usually wear contacts though. The only thing i don't like about contacts is that if you get a speck of dirt or anything in your eye its a pain in the a$$.

For those of you who have had corrective surgery: Are there any side effects of it?

With any surgery there is the possibility of something going wrong.

Now with that disclaimer out of the way. As I said earlier in this thread, I had my surgery several years ago. I was back at work the next day, yes...my eyes felt slightly scratchy for a few days but nothing truly irritating. I had to wear plastic shields over my eyes for a few days and I had to sleep with plastic shields for about 2 weeks (To make sure I didn't rub my eyes in my sleep) You have to use re-wetting drops a few times a day for 2-3 months because your eyes tend to be drier for a bit until fully and totally healed. Also for the first year I tended to wear sunglasses a bit more often than before the surgery. ( I was living at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas at the time, desert sunshine.)

BUT.

Since the day of the surgery, I've had full peripheral vision. (If you normally wear glasses and have never tried contacts, you have NO idea what you're missing in this aspect.) I've also enjoyed better than 20/20 distance vision, with no loss at ALL of close-up vision.

As far as side-effects, they were all short-term, and I think I listed them all above, except one, for a couple of months if I was in a dark (like night-time dark) area and looked toward a light, the light seemed to have a sort of "aurora" effect around it, but that was also short-term.

When you've lived with a vision problem all your life, the simple ability to wake up in the morning, open your eyes, and see perfectly is wonderful. No glasses to put on, no contacts to stick in your eyes.

Surgery $3000.00 (at that time.)
active recovery--2 weeks.

Perfect vision every day since and for many years in the future....Priceless.