I always believed my vision was just fine, unaware I had been adapting to a fuzzy world for years. I didn’t even realize I was constantly squinting in order to see, but eventually I couldn’t get by that way any longer and there began my unwanted, yet necessary relationship with glasses. I spent a decade grudgingly putting up with them, finding over the years I slowly relied on them with more frequency. I always felt self conscious in them and envied friends with excellent vision. Over the years I heard great things about LASIK, and while being free of my dependence on glasses sounded enticing, the thought of taking a laser to my eyeball struck me as too scary. I allowed my fears keep me from seriously considering the procedure; I simply accepted my fate as a four eyes. Then one evening while on vacation, I found myself lost in a sketchy part of town without my glasses. The cityscape around me was a complete blur, making it impossible to get my bearings and I was terrified. As I rushed to find safety, I decided it was time to overcome my fears of the laser and research LASIK.
I have been dependent on glasses or contacts to see as I suffered from an astigmatism for 20 years. As a television sports reporter, my job is to SEE the action. Whether it's a homerun, a touchdown or the scoreboard, it seemed like the further away those things were, the more difficult it became for me to decipher the details of the moment. Lasik corrected my vision and gave me the freedom see just about anything, no matter the distance. No more squinting, messing with contacts in bad weather conditions or worrying how often my vision would change. I go to bed reading a book and wake up seeing the alarm clock, plus I watch sports with clarity in between. Forever grateful for the freedom to see- Jenny Cavnar- Channel 4 San Diego Updated on 12 Feb 2011:
The problem in treating patients with small optical zones is that removal of tissue [depending on the higher order aberrations] might make you farsighted. This could end up causing more issues with worse vision at all times, even though you might be correctable with glasses, you may end up unhappy. A PreVue lens can be made to determine whether treating you might help. If a Prevue lens clears up your issues, it would be worth a try in one eye first, then the other eye. Surgery would not be the first option. Other options might be to have a contact lens made that is actually molded to your eye. These lenses are new and might be effective as well. Once you got a contact lens that helped, you could further reduce night symptoms by coloring the lens to effectively reduce the pupil size. These things are not standard and might require a higher cost but might help.
LASIK is often an effective procedure for your prescription. Under and overcorrections may be the individual's response to healing. Often, an enhancement can be done to improve vision should you not obtain the result you desire. The percentage chance of needing this will vary from doctor to doctor. Seek a consultation with a doctor specializing in all refractive procedures to determine which option is best for you. There are many wonderful procedures which could you excellent vision and change your life!
With a high farsighted prescription, refractive lens replacement is usually the best option. The best procedure for you will depend upon the prescription, the thickness of the cornea, the lengh of the eye. Laser vision correction is usually not an option for a prescription as high as yours. It would be best to undergo a consultation and speak with the doctor about the best option for you and your eyes.
The front surface takes time to fully heal after laser vision correction. Dryness, small prescriptions can result in the symptoms you describe. Additionally, some people notice glare, haloes or starbursts for a few months. Most often, over time with healing they resolve. You should speak with your eye doctor if you are concerned.
The best procedure for you will depend on the shape of your cornea as well as the prescription and thicknes of the cornea. An ICL will not reshape the cornea and result in any more thinning. This might be why this procedure was recommended. LASIK is probably not indicated due to the corneal thickness but PRK might be able to be performed. This would depend upon the shape of your cornea as well other factors you mentioned. There are benefits and risks of each procedure and you should ask if you have question as to why this was recommended.
