High myopia, need advice about contact lenses.

[palmal]

I am highly myopic, -13 and -12 in the left and right eye.Also have a cylindrical power of 2.5 in both eyes. I've been wearing glasses since age 4-5 (21 years old now).
Live in India.Consulted local docs and have received various confusing opinions:
1. One said that contact lenses increase the myopic power even more.
2. One said that contact lenses will not cover the total power ie:spherical and cylindrical. I will have to wear glasses to cover the cylindrical power.

Being highly myopic, lasik surgery is not recommended so would like to get contact lenses.But am  unable to decide as to which kind of contact lenses would be suitable. Please help.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

1. If you wear soft lens in some cases it can bend the cornea or cause it to swell which will increase myopia howeer if you stop the CTL it generallly goes away.
2. Most people with this RX do wear contacts because they see better because imagelarge than with glasses.
3. You may need toric soft contacts or a rigid gas peermeable CTL might mask that much astigmatism.
4. You may need soft CTL with glasses over still see better than with glasses alone.
5. Get a second opinion from another Eye MD on your options.

JCH MD

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

Custom made contacts are needed for your prescription.  You should be able to see fairly well with those without glasses over contact lenses.

Some feel that using a full correction with glasses or contact lenses make the myopia progress.  My feeling is that the use of eye for near tasks can increase myopia in some people. I was a -1.75 and -2.00 at age 39 and returned to get an MBA.  After two years of 20 hours of increase reading per week my prescription increase to -3.25 and -4.00.  It was stable for the next 9 years until I got
PRK.

I recommend using inexpensive over-the-count readers in cases such as yours over the contact lens for reading.

[palmal]

I've just read about SynergEyes Hybrid contacts.Are those any better than soft toric lenses?
Can I using soft lenses for covering the myopic power only ?and leave the cylindrical power?