Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/10/02

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Laser surgery and mountain climbers
From: Mark Walberg <Walberg@simmons.swmed.edu>
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1998 10:00:15 -0600

>At 05:09 PM 01/10/98 EDT, you wrote:
>> Some glasses take you farther away from the eyepiece than others, making
>the problem worse.  I wish I could wear contacts or get lasered!
>>Jay
>>
>Jay,
>Don't even think of laser surgery.  I just watched a documentary about
>people who have permanently lost their vision through laser surgery.  The
>cornea has to be cut before using the laser.  If the cornea cut is botched,
>you are left without vision in that eye, and there is no way that it can be
>corrected or reversed.  The risk is not worth the potential gain.
>George

   Another interesting point about laser eye surgery - and why it is not a
good idea for mountain climbers.  I heard Beck Weathers (who barely
survived a well known, ill-fated Everest climb with loss of hands, nose,
etc) describe what happened when he got up toward the top.  He previously
had laser eye surgery, which gave him good sight at lower altitudes.  Up
high, though, something about the altitude induced a shape change in the
eye, throwing all out of focus.  He said he couldn't see a thing until the
sun got high in the sky (closing his iris).    So, if you want to climb the
high ones, think twice about laser eye surgery.   -Mark Walberg