LASIK or PRK

Seems like LASIK would be safe for grappling sports such as BJJ or wrestling but kick boxing and boxing would concern me. I plan to pursue striking arts and was wondering if anyone that strikes at a decent level had LASIK? I get my contact popped often during BJJ and boxing and wondering if that is enough trauma to open up the flap.

 

Can't speak from experience although I plan to get eye surgery myself some day and get rid of these damn glasses. A guy at my gym had LASIK and he spars and seems to be doing fine. I'll ask him specifically about it if I see him.

 

That would be so awesome. I look forward to hearing from you!

 

From some googling I've done before on the subject it seems that LASIK is less safe for contact sports (the incision makes the difference)

 

I heard that if you do get enough trauma to mess up the incision, your eye would be fucked regardless. I donno how accurate that statement is though.

 

I'm also considering eye surgery and I recently spoke to an eye doctor about this. Basically what he told me is, PRK is the way to go. LASIK is a shorter, less painful recovery time, and it's very unlikely the flap would ever open up, however there is still a possibility that could happen, and it would obviously be more likely with someone who does a striking martial art than the average person. With PRK that won't happen, it just takes longer to recover. I haven't found out how long it takes before you can spar again after PRK, although I'm assuming it's more based on how you're feeling.

Good luck if and when you do end up having it done.

 

I did lasik 2 years ago and my eyes are fine. Haven't competed yet but I've been sparring and I've had no problems.

 

I'm getting PRK next month. Do a free consultation with the doctor that would be performing the surgery and ask him this question. I believe most good ones would tell you to get PRK.

Mine said PRK is the way to go if I want to continue combat sports. Optimally, he wished I would quit combat sports and get lasik.

Lasik creates a flap on your eye, do you really want to risk the chance of someone you hitting you hard and tearing that?

 

Doesn't the flap heal?

 

PRK for contact sports. Final and correct answer.

 

If you can, go for LASEK. A lot of people thing LASEK and PRK are the same but, while similar, they're not exactly the same (PRK removes the epithelium, LASEK weakens it, so the healing is faster and more comfortable).

If you're going to spar or fight then LASEK/PRK is the ONLY way to go. Because they just place the flap back down in LASIK your eye has an inherent flaw (think in terms of a blister). Sure it can reattach fully and heal as normal however that could take years and you won't know until your corneal flap comes off after a traume (i.e. until it's too late).
Now yeah, a ton of people get LASIK with no problem, however why would you willingly go for something you know is higher risk? Yeah the recovery on LASEK is longer and less comfortable however I don't see why someone would take the risk just for a few weeks recovery time.

I did a lot of looking into this last year before I got my eye surgery, along with discussions with a number of optometrists (some of whom said they would refuse to perform LASIK on me if that was the option I insisted on). Went for LASEK obviously, I was out for a week from work, back training in 3 week2 and back sparring in around 2 months (when they'de settled), it's now around 6 months since the surgery and my eyes seem ok, taken a few shots (and a few black eyes) since then with (touch wood) no apparent ill effects.
My partner went for LASIK, she was back at work after one day off, here eyes were spot on the day after surgery. However she is now having more complications than me (dry eyes) and she obviously doesn't do a combat sport so no corneal flap risk there.

From the research I did and the conclusions I cam to, the best (current) options are LASEK ==> PRK ==> LASIK. As said, the risk is pretty low with LASIK but why choose something that is inarguably more risk (if you do a combat sport) just to save yourself 1-2 months recovery time? Someone IMO would have to be a bit of an idiot to go for LASIK if they do a combat sport.

 

No the flap never fully heals from LASIK surgery and that's why even years down the line getting hit or something can tear it open and do bad damage. I was told to wait around 6 months after PRK to spar hard or fight again. I have not had the surgery yet but plan on getting it done sometime soon. PRK is the way to go for combat sports, that's even what the military uses. With PRK they never cut open a flap they just sand the eye down and repair, so recovery time is a little longer/more painful, but your eye WILL fully heal and is a safer option, IMO.

 

I'm going to throw out some crazy advice and say talk to a couple optometrists rather than random people on the internet who don't know you and have zero medical training.

 

I was told by an eye doctor about 6 years ago that if I got Lasik, I should not compete in contact sports.

 

I got PRK specifically so I could continue to train. The only real advantage of LASIK over PRK is the reduced healing time since the flap covers the traumatized area of the cornea while it heals. PRK resurfaces the cornea on the surface, so the traumatized area is exposed and takes longer to heal. I was told that with LASIK, I would be back at work in 2 days, with PRK it would take up to 2 weeks. The first 2 days with PRK were pretty miserable, but with proper preparations, supplements, painkillers and sleeping pills, they passed pretty quickly. I took a week off from work, but I could've been back in about 4 or 5 days.

 

PRK is better if you do anything crazy. You cornea retains more thickness than with LASIK.

Some good info here:

https://www.bcm.edu/eye/baylorvision/eyesurgery


https://www.bcm.edu/eye/baylorvision/laservisioncorrection

Baylor was the only place in town that mentioned the consequences of lasik and sports back when I had my eyes fixed in 2002. I did PRK.

 

I had intraLasik done and the doctor told me I could box just fine and have no risk of the flap coming off.

Although I heard AIBA will not allow you to fight no matter what kind of eye refraction surgery you have received

 

So does that mean I gotta compete in a foreign country if I had Lasik? I know some competitions use headgear.