LASIK Surgery on a Nystagmus Patient

On Thursday, Dec 10, I put my sight on the line and underwent LASIK eye surgery at Will Vision and Laser Centers in Vancouver, Washington. Dr. Brian R. Will has extensive experience in the field, and felt confident we could achieve success despite the fact that I am a nystagmus patient (my eyes shake back and forth rapidly, and uncontrollably). The latest Visx Star S4 IR with CustomVue and Active Eye Tracking has some amazing capabilities. It is now possible to treat Nystagmus patients. I searched far and wide before I found a Doctor I felt comfortable with.




Prior to surgery, my glasses could correct my vision to a point somewhere between 20/40 and 20/50. Just outside the DMV requirements for getting a Driver's License.

At the one-day postoperative exam, I tested at 20/30 in one eye, and 20/40 in the other. I'm now 11 days post-LASIK and I couldn't be happier. My visual acuity has gradually improved, to the point I think both eyes are around the 20/30 range. For me, a nystagmus patient with optic nerve hypoplasia, this is the best I've ever seen in my LIFE! Even better than with RGP contact lenses (which I could not tolerate).

my ONLY visual side-effect has been a haze or halo around bright light sources at night, but that is already starting to decrease. No pain or discomfort whatsoever, no starbursts, no double-vision, etc. Recovery has been a dream. I use my rewetting drops religiously, Refresh Plus during the day, and Refresh Celluvisc gel drops at night. I've also been keen on maintaining proper hydration from the inside, by drinking plenty of water starting a couple weeks before surgery. I think it's all helped the recovery process a lot.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• LASIK
• Nystagmus
• iLASIK
• Intralase
• Visx
• Visx Star S4
• CustomVue

[Matt314159]

Hi saligen, many doctors told me the same thing. Basically, they have lasers now that track your eye's movement faster than the eye itself is capable of moving. it tracks it on several different planes, and is very reliable. I'd recommend you get in touch with Will Vision & Laser Centers and they might be able to give you some more in's and out's of what you might expect to gain from it. It all depends on your prescription, how bad the nystagmus is, etc. PM me if you have any questions. 

[Matt314159]

@Matt314159 sorry ran out of room. I actually see 20/25 now in my left eye and 20/30 in my right. Best I've ever seen. I was in the 20/50 range with glasses before, and couldn't tolerate RGP lenses, though they gave me vision that was better, though not quite as good as I ended up with the LASIK. I actually wrote an article about my experience as it applies to a nystagmus patient, that you might find helpful, I'll be glad to email it to you if you send me your address

[Matt314159]

20 / 20 is a ratio comparing YOUR vision to OTHER PEOPLE's vision. If your vision is 20/20 it means that what YOU can see at 20 feet away, the average person also sees from 20 feet away. If your vision is 20/40, it means that what YOU can see from 20 feet away, the AVERAGE person can see from 40 feet away. So, 20/50 means that what I could see from 20 feet away, the AVERAGE person could see from 50 feet away. It's all YOU in comparison to OTHER PEOPLE.

[vonsusername]

im so glad we have this technology now

[ussrambabu]

sir,this is rambabu from india in hyderabad.I suffer from nystagmus to my left eye.my age is now 27 years,i think that from my childhood onwards i have nystagmus,offcourse i don't know the type of nystagmus.my question is,is anything treatment for me? and one more thing sir,From my childhood onwards and upto now i am seing with my right eye only with -4.5 eye sight.Kindly help me in this regard.i have faced and facing a lot of problems.My education life has become nervous tome.

[hbrumpton198419]

Thankyou for putting this on. I'm looking into getting it done I'm just below driving standards aswell .. always keep getting told my prescription is too high .. So they only seem to be offering the implanted lens

I've had nystagmus since I was about 8 .. I'm -6.75 and -6.50 .. Can you drive now you've had treatment?

:-)

[saliger64504]

i also have congenital nystagmus ever since i was a baby ive had one eye surgery when i was young to fix the bands behinde the eye it slowed down the jurking but hasnt stopped it i now have 20/40 in my left eye and like 20/50 is my right eye ive been looking into this trestment for years but have been told that i cant have it done

[pi3k]

Wow, 20/30 and 20/40 with nystagmus and optic nerve hypoplasia! You are very fortunate, and that surgeon is awesome to have performed LASIK over nystagmus! Are you able to drive now?

[isingstuff123]

what does it mean if your eyesight is 20/50? beause i went to the doctor, and they said that's what my vision is.......

[19Rogerino]

@Animehem what was the drug called please? i have wanted this for so long but have already been told by optical express tht i can't have it because of nystagmus which i think is aload of bull to be honest...