All-Star Catcher Takes Rare Second Swing at LASIK

“Baseball fans are junkies, and their heroin is the statistic.”—Robert S. Weider, In Praise of the Second Season

“Statistics are about as interesting as first base coaches.”—Former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton

Statistically speaking, LASIK is among the safest and most effective elective surgeries. Most studies report that at least 95 percent of LASIK patients achieve 20/20 vision or better following surgery, and even more reach at least 20/40 vision.

But statistics alone don’t tell us everything, and not even a procedure as numerically successful as LASIK comes with a guarantee of clear vision. Just ask Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann.

Following the 2007 season, the six-time All-Star underwent LASIK to correct blurry vision in his left eye thought to be caused by astigmatism. Although McCann initially reported improved vision after healing, the blurred vision soon returned and was accompanied by chronic dry eyes.

Over the ensuing two years, doctors prescribed an array of contacts, custom-made eyeglasses, and prescription eye drops to no avail. Finally, after consulting with his initial laser vision correction surgeon, McCann decided to try LASIK enhancement.

Following this revision surgery, McCann also made substantial dietary changes, including drinking more water and quitting caffeine. The results, according to McCann in an MLB.com article, are “like day and night.”

Already an All-Star for each of his full Major League seasons, McCann is currently batting over .300 for his second-best career average and is among the National League leaders in slugging at over .540 and runs batted in with 50. Numbers almost as impressive as LASIK’s.

Of course, whether that data means anything just depends on your stance on statistics. Jim Bouton didn’t experience vision problems in his day; his 62-63 record may be attributed to other causes.

“You see,” he writes in his memoir Ball Four, “you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.”

If you would like to learn more about LASIK or locate an ophthalmologist near you, please contact The LASIK Directory.