Hello All:
I have been to two board-certified doctors in order to be evaluated for lasik/lasek/prk. My current prescription is:
R SP -4.5 CYL -3.5
L SP -3.0 CYL -3.25
cornea thickness and pupil diameter allow me to be eligible for either prk or lasek.
My questions are:
Can the VISX CustomVue Laser using Custom Wavefront Technology be used to treat my prescription?
What amount of nearsightedness and astigmatism can this laser correct?
Can any other custom wavefront procedures work for me based on my astigmatism? I believe my astigmatism is myopic.
Based on my prescription, what procedure (Lasek or PRK) will likely produce the best result?
If, because of my astigmatism, a custom wavef
If your cornea thickness allows both, then I don’t think there is any issue with either. PRK can be used on thinner corneas and if there needs to be a further correction, having PRK makes it more likely to be correctable if you have thinner corneas. But these don’t sound like issues to you, since your corneas are fine.
I would suggest PRK. The reasons to do lasik over PRK is that it heals faster, is less painful, and you get instant results. PRK takes a few weeks to get full results (though it will continue to improve for up to a year). And it can be painful for the next couple of days. Also, you will not be able to see well enough to drive or even work for a several days. But, PRK has fewer risks (they can’t over cut the flap) and in the long run there are fewer risks since there is no flap to cause problems. (LASIK flaps can come un-seated years afterward if you get hit in the eye, since it never really heals.) Also, PRK tends to improve over the long run, to give you better results. I had PRK and the pain was not significant and I had could take a week off from work. I would say the pain and the time off was totally worth the reduced risk. In my mind, LASIK is for people who are afraid of the pain and want instant results. But PRK is a better procedure with less risk and better results. If it were me, I would go for better results and less risk. And that’s what I did. I am happy with my decision.
February 13, 2010