I had lasik surgery 3-4 years ago, and for the most part of have been very please with the results. However, rockclimbing has been the one activity where it's had a negative effect for me.
Lasik surgery can't do anything about presbyopia -which is loss of elasticity of the lens effecting the ability to focus clearly. Unfortunely, people experience it as we get older - well, I guess I'm there.
Within a few days of surgery my vision was 20/20 in both eyes, but I required reading glasses unless the light was really bright. I immediately noticed in the climbing gym I couldn't see the holds or surface variations as well, but it was not big deal to adapt. Climbing outside on cracks or routes with med.-big holds was no problem (I mean seeing them, whether I could do the route is different issue!). But routes that you have to look for little irregularities has been problem - I've had a lot harder time finding the little smear edges for my feet and sometimes locating small finger holds.
The real problem is friction slabs where you have to see the slightest irregularity to make the move. The first time I noticed it was on Goat Dome in Icicle Canyon. We started by warming up on a route which I had done before without the slightest problem. I took off on lead and suddenly I couldn't find any features to get me past a section - I couldn't figure out what the problem was - how had I done this is the past??? It took me a couple of pitches to figure out I just couldn't see the little irregularities needed to smear off of. We had gone up with the intention of doing pretty much all the routes left - right on the cliff (which I had done previously). No way - I couldn't even get off the ground on the harder ones - I was bummed.
I talked to my optomitrist and he had no experience with someone wanting glasses with a working range of about 18" - 5'. He's was going to try having some made, but I've gotten sidetracked with focusing on alpine route and haven't gotten back to him. Got to do that....
Those scary, runnout friction routes (Static Point, Squamish apron, etc) use to be a "favorite" of mine - now I don't even consider them.
Otherwise, total positive experience with lasik.
[ 03-08-2002: Message edited by: russ ]
