Lasik Surgery (PRK & Lasek)

[kitty15]

am 40 with a high level of nearsightedness -10.75 and astigmatisum -2.5 for both eyes.  I had consulted few eye doctors whether I am a good candidate for  he Lasik surgery. Some recommended me to go for it but some don't.  All doctors agreed that I am at the margin for lasik surgery and their expected result after surgery will be 20/25 or 20/40  ( considered my prescription and corneas thickness).  I also heard a lot about the complications after surgery.  .. I am still undecided whether I go for the surgery or not.   I would like to have the eye professionals opinion or other third party opinion especially the surgicial patients.

Thanks!

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

If you think having LASIK to reduce the thickness of your glasses and make a lot of improvement without glasses is worth the time, expense and risk there is no reason to avoid LASIK.

If you expect to good without glasses same your money.

You should also know that regardless of whether you have lasik or not that you will be in no line bifocals within the next three years.  

JCH III MD Eye MD

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

If you think having LASIK to reduce the thickness of your glasses and make a lot of improvement without glasses is worth the time, expense and risk there is no reason to avoid LASIK.

If you expect to see good without glasses save your money.

You should also know that regardless of whether you have lasik or not that you will be in no line bifocals within the next three years.   Thus even if you could be fully corrected with LASIK you would soon need reading glasses.

JCH III MD Eye MD

[kitty15]

Yes, I agreed that I would soon need reading glasses as I am 40 already.  Let's  say I go for the Lasik but leave -0.5 to -1 adopter undo on my nearsightedness to reserve for the future reading glass need.  Is that work???

Thanks!

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Short answer NO.  When you go to the drug store or Wal-Mart and you see reading glasses out there the top of the display has weak readers. +0.75 or +1.00 then they get stronger near the middle and bottom of the display generally ending with +3.25.  The lower numbers are what people in their early 40's need (assuming they are not near or farsighted) while the bottom numbers that are big are for people in their 70-80's.  

Being -0.75 myopic is equal to having a built in reading glass of +0.75 and being -1.00 nearsighted is equal to a +1.00 reading glass. So if you were left -1.00 myopia you would be able to read without reading glasses until probably your late 40's then you would need reading glasses. Your distance vision would be blurred and you would need a -1.00 lens to see at distance. You "middle vision" for shopping and computer monitor would be excellent.

To read indefinitely good without reading glasses would require myopia of -2.50 to -3.00

JCH III MD