If you are of the age where you require glasses for both distance and reading, then you have 2 options when it comes to laser vision correction. You can correct both eyes for distance, in which case you would still need reading glasses for intermediate and near vision; or you can have what is called mono vision, where one eye is corrected for distance, and the other is corrected for near. With this second option you may still need readers for very fine print and driving glasses for night time driving, but not for the vast majority of daily activities. If you want to go with mono vision, it is a good idea to trial it in contact lenses first.
Rainbow glare is an uncommon but recognized side effect of LASIK. It occurs due to the prismatic effect of the laser pattern that creates the flap. The vast majority of cases are temporary and will gradually fade over the course of 1 to 6 months. It can be annoying at first but you should see a little improvement each day. It is only very rare cases that require a procedure to correct it after 6 months. Hang in there, it will most likely get better on its own.
Patients with well-controlled UC such as yourself can safely undergo LASIK or PRK and expect to heal normally. Just be sure to mention the condition to your surgeon so they can look carefully for signs of current or past eye inflammation during the evaluation process.
You are quite myopic and have a lot of astigmatism, so make sure to go to a reputable LASIK/refractive specialist who will do a thorough evaluation to ensure that you are a good, safe candidate for any of these procedures. Between LASIK and PRK, you will likely be a better candidate for PRK given your high correction, but if your corneas are extra thick you may be able to get away with LASIK as well. ICL's that correct astigmatism were actually just approved in the United States last month (September) and will become available starting next month. They correct up to 4 dipoters of astigmatism so will not fully correct the amount of astigmatism that you have (the -4.75 number of each eye). You may still be happy with the result or could have some PRK on top of it to fully correct your vision. Keep in mind that ICL's are a surgical procedure that involve implanting a lens inside the eye (versus re-shaping the surface as in LASIK and PRK) and carry a small risk of cataract formation and glaucoma. As far as pregnancy, it is absolutely fine to have any of these procedures if you're not planning on getting pregnant for 2 years. It is only if you are currently pregnant or breast feeding that we advise waiting 3-6 months after giving birth or stopping breast feeding to have a refractive surgery.
It might seem funny when your eye doctor asks if you're pregnant, planning on becoming or breast feeding during your LASIK evaluation. The reason is that the hormonal changes during these events destabilize your cornea and prescription making LASIK surgery less accurate. It is better to wait at least 3 months after giving birth or stopping breast feeding (whichever is later) to allow your cornea to stabilize before having LASIK. I actually usually ask my patients to wait 6 months.
