White Plains Ophthalmologists

Thin Corneas, High Prescription....PRK?

Hi, Just looking for some thoughts on this.... I've gone to 4 different offices for consultations, looking to see if I'm a candidate. My eyes are -7.25, and -7.50, corneal thickness of 475. I've gotten 2 no's and 2 yeses. Only for PRK, obviously no LASIK. Why the difference in opinion? I don't have any eye problems, contacts are fine, no dry eyes. It would just be nice to be free from it all. Oh, I turned down ICL, btw. Does anyone have and advice/thoughts/comments? Thanks!!

You have definitely done the right thing by getting multiple consultations. The fact that you have gotten different answers from different places shows that you are a borderline candidate for laser vision correction. A safer option may be Intacs corneal inserts which can reduce your nearsightedness without removing tissue from your already thin corneas. 

Howard S. Kornstein, MD

White Plains Ophthalmologist

Will I Still Need Eye Drops Three Months After Lasik?

Some people do find it useful to use artificial tears for many weeks or months after laser vision correction. Those who spend the day in front of a computer screen may find it especially helpful to use lubricating eyedrops. Eventually the need for artificial tears should return to what it was prior to surgery.

Howard S. Kornstein, MD

White Plains Ophthalmologist

PRK or Lasik for 8+ Myopia?

I'm looking at getting lasik or PRK performed. My script reads (sph, cyl, ax) (-8.75, +2, 085) and (-8.00, +3.00, 080). My first consultation was last Saturday. With my correction, cornea shape, and pupil size, they recommended PRK. In response, I emailed PRK questions to my other clinics. One of them responded immediately that with over 5, they would not recommend PRK due to haze. They said that the first clinic had older lasers, which would not be sufficient lasik for me. Please help!

Without knowing your corneal thickness or the appearance of your corneal topography, it is difficult to comment on your situation specifically. In general, for a surgeon who does both lasik and prk, lasik would be preferable for higher levels of myopia because healing is more predictable. However, relatively thin corneas and some topography patterns would tilt things in the direction of surface ablation (PRK, lasek). If you have any uncertainty about how to proceed, it's probably a good idea to get another consultation. 

Howard S. Kornstein, MD

White Plains Ophthalmologist