Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board LASIK at Altitude

There was a thread a while back about the risks of altitude on post-LASIK (laser refractive surgery or Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis for those who care) corneas.

The April "EuroTimes" magazine, published by the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) had an article about a group of post-LASIK patients who climbed Everest. Full text of the <a href="http://www.escrs.org/eurotimes/April2003/lasik.asp">article</a> is available on their web site.

Quick summary is that LASIK patients may have transient visual problems but nothing permanent and usually not enough to prevent climbing.

This problem was worse with the old RK eye surgery. Some people experienced problems with their vision even with changes of altitude as low as 4000 - 5000 feet.

If you've read "Into Thin Air," you'll remember that complications after laser eye surgery contributed to Beck Weathers near-death experience.

But Beck Weathers had RK, not LASIK. And the article linked discusses the question of the impact of RK on Weathers along with discussing the effect of LASIK on Everest climbers. Of course, articles like this have some inherent bias in favor of the medical procedure.

It is difficult to do a good scientific study to properly judge the statistical likelihood of problems at high alititude with post refractive surgery eyes versus eyes that have not undergone refractive surgery. The reality is that at best we get anecdotal evidence. But from the anecdotal evidence, it seems to me that LASIK is not a significant problem for anyone hiking at altitude (especially if you don't leave the 48 states where Whitney is the highest you can get), whereas RK can be a problem for some (but not for others) hiking at altitude in the lower 48.

Your unscientific study may yield different results from mine.

In my line of work (Optometry) we discuss risks of daily disposible contact lenses (putting the lenses in with dirty fingers up on the mountain), extended wear lenses (increased risk of infections sleeping in them) or glasses (loosing them - and who wants to be seen in them?). Lasik isn't considered by most to be a big problem at elevations like Whitney. Certainly RK (Beck Weathers up on Everest) is more of a problem, sometimes causing moderately blurred vision....which spoils the view. My personal choice, all risks considered, would be Lasik done by a very good surgeon with good follow up.

Recently I asked Kerry Assil MD from the Sinskey Eye Institute in Santa Monica about Lasik at 14000 feet. He has vast experience Lasik Surgery, RK, Prk, and the Artisan implant lens and has been doing eye surgery for 15- 20 years. He is also one of the top 2 or 3 Lasik surgeons the Los Angeles area news media always interview when something comes up. He said he didn't find it to be much of an issue, unlike RK (which cut slits 90% of the way through the cornea) which has had problems with altitude and pressure.

I had LASIK in November 2000 and summited Mt. Whitney in September '01 (and again in August '02). No problems whatsoever with my vision on either trip.

I had lasic June '02 in Reno 4410',then hike to 13,134' the next week without problems.Have since been to 10,000'many times and over 12,000 last week and have not had any trouble at all with my eyes.