High Myopia - Is there anybody out there?

[sophia35]

Hi everyone.

I'm 35,with  really high myopia ( -17 in left eye and -22 in right eye)astigmatism  and cataract in right eye not impairing sight. Use rigid gas permeable contacts and get along "fine".

Have had gas bubble in left eye and laser in both for retinal tears/holes.
The only procedure I'm considering is IOL when absolutely necessary.

I've never heard of anyone with myopia this high. i'm really worried about future prospects.

I know people with similar conditions can have different outcomes but can anyone with high myopia ( even if not like mine) please give any input or useful information?

Many thanks.

Wishing you all the best,
Sophia

[Xalvadora]

I have had high myopia all my life (-12/-13). I am 60 and have worn gas permeable lenses since I was 18. I do a lot of trekking and have found these to be comfortable and easy to manage. However I have recently been accepted as a trek leader for a company who insist that contact lenses are not allowed due to the risk of infection. In all my life I have rarely had any eye infections and the few I have had were easily treatable with saline and anti-bacterial eye wash. I find glasses uncomfortable and inappropriate for trekking so I am considering having laser eye surgery. I live in the UK and it's expensive for someone with my prescription as I'll have to go to a specialist in high myopia surgery, and I've also been told I must switch to wearing soft lenses for four months before the operation. Other experienced contact-lens wearing trek leaders say the company are being ridiculous and I should ignore their ludicrous rules and wear the lenses anyway or find another company that doesn't over react to risk assessments. I'm trying to weigh up the risks and costs. I have never even considered surgery before. I'd appreciate expert opinion.

[JohnHaganMD]

There is no question but that the risks are higher, the expenses higher with proceeding with surgery especially since you're doing well.  It would seem you best bet by far is to find a trek company that does not have this rule/regulation. You can also take glasses, lots of contact lens solution and be extremely careful with hygeine and CTL care when on trek.  Also you can ask your ophthalmologist to prescribe an antibiotic eye drop appropriate for a corneal ulcer to take on the trek. If you had something like an infection you would leave the contacts out, wear glasses, start antibiotic drops and get to eye medical care ASAP.   It's highly unlikely that LASIK or PRK would correct your myopia.  Likely you will, or have already, developed some cataract formation. At some point cataract/IOL surgery can give you better vision than refractive corneal surgery

[JohnHaganMD]

You do have pathological high myopia OR you could have a corneal disease called keratoconus      Your profile indicates you live in NYC  I suggest a consult at New York  I would suggest you make an appointment with a cornea/refractive surgery specialist at New York Eye & Ear Institute of Mount Sinai   http://www.nyee.edu/patient-care/ophthalmology

I would stay away from Columbia University Ophthalmology Department.

NYEE can determine if you have corneal disease, evaluate your retina and discuss options to improve your sight.

[Pak123gul]

Im 19.with higher myopia than you have .right eye is -23 and left is 26 and l have astigmatism too.lve been using glasses since im 3 years old.and when l was 15 l started to use lenses for lower power .my eyes arebgetting worse every year. l dont know what to do .l afraid im going blind.

[ronney352]

hello.i am also suffering from high myopia.i wish i have friends with whom i can share and talk about this.well noone can help but atleast talking to someone suffering from same thing,makes you feel better.

[JohnHaganMD]

John Kim, MD
J. Bradley Randleman, MD

Cornea/Cataract/Refractive surgeons at Emory U Dept of Ophthalmology

[JohnHaganMD]

You know I don't think there is any "best of the best" when it comes to Medicine and Surgery.  Emory is ranked in the top 10 Ophthalmology Departments in the Country and is strong in refractive surgery and retina.

If you have only seen a retina Eye MD and your "regular eye doctor" then you have not really even scratched the surface of what is possible. You should definitely see a top quality cornea/refractive Surgeon.

JCH MD

[Ashley12016]

Thank you! Yes I'm going to investigate my options at Emory. Is there a particular person there you would suggest?

[SoftwareDeveloper]

Its good your vision is 20/20 correctible with contacts, it wasn't clear from your post whether  that was the case.

I wasn't as myopic as you (perhaps -6D and -9.5D before the cataract hit) but I always found contact lenses gave me better vision, I rarely wore glasses unless I had to due to allergies causing problems with contacts at times (GPC issues). If I'd had to abandon contacts I'd have likely been hunting for options as you are.  It may be that clear lens exchange is something to consider, but one tradeoff is that the longer you wait, the better replacement lenses will become. Eventually they'll be able to provide a lens comparable to that of a natural 19 year old lens, they just aren't there yet, the question is whether the current lenses are "good enough" to be worth it for you, or whether to wait a bit longer for a new generation of improved lenses.

I should add that usually it is possible to replace IOLs in the future, even if it adds risks&cost just like the original surgery, but the risks and costs will come down over time. It may be that in a decade I'll decide its worth it to upgrade to a new generation IOL.