I had Lasik over 12 years ago and am now planning on climbing Mt Elbrus, would it still have a bearing on the altitude after having had the op so long ago?
Answer: Lasik and Mountain Climbing
There are no long term reasons to not go mountain climbing after Lasik. In the short term postop, about two weeks, I would rather you not do those kinds of activities, simply to allow the corneas to heal properly without too many variables. The air at those altitudes is pretty dry, as well, so artificial tears are important for any planned trip. Many many years ago, there was a book written about a climber who had had Radial Keratotomy(RK), a procedure I stopped doing in 1994. This was an incisional procedure completely unlike Laser Vision Correction. In his case, he suffered drastic fluctuations in vision at high altitudes and almost lost his life. The dramatic nature of his story and book has made that concern a legend, but it is no longer true in the slightest sense.
To put this in a more updated context, the US Navy allows their SEALS and pilots to have Lasik(femtosecond flaps and wavefront treatments....both platforms that I have and use daily), and they allow their soldiers to go back to full activity within 2-4 weeks. So, if it is good enough for the SEALS, and what they are doing, it is good enough for me and you!!
Helpful 2 people found this helpful
Answer: Lasik and Mountain Climbing
There are no long term reasons to not go mountain climbing after Lasik. In the short term postop, about two weeks, I would rather you not do those kinds of activities, simply to allow the corneas to heal properly without too many variables. The air at those altitudes is pretty dry, as well, so artificial tears are important for any planned trip. Many many years ago, there was a book written about a climber who had had Radial Keratotomy(RK), a procedure I stopped doing in 1994. This was an incisional procedure completely unlike Laser Vision Correction. In his case, he suffered drastic fluctuations in vision at high altitudes and almost lost his life. The dramatic nature of his story and book has made that concern a legend, but it is no longer true in the slightest sense.
To put this in a more updated context, the US Navy allows their SEALS and pilots to have Lasik(femtosecond flaps and wavefront treatments....both platforms that I have and use daily), and they allow their soldiers to go back to full activity within 2-4 weeks. So, if it is good enough for the SEALS, and what they are doing, it is good enough for me and you!!
Helpful 2 people found this helpful