Am I Crazy to Do LASIK with This Low Rx? I Would Sincerely Appreciate Advice (photo).

Question

CHECKED YESTERDAY Cornea: (L) 551 microns (R) 534 microns Power: (L) + 1.75 | -1.25 x 180 (6/6). (R) -1.00 x 15 (6/4.5 -2) Some doctors said I shouln't proceed with LASIK. Since I don't have much Rx, the relative benefit is minimal. However, I find glasses to be quite inconvenient and can afford LASIK. When I am outdoors, I don't need glasses to see. Only to read text on the computer. The surgeon who agreed to my operation has done 12000 ops using VISX V4 IR Excimer Wavefront IntraLase.

Mark Golden, MD · Answer

I personally had a small prescription and elected to have LASIK because I did not want to wear glasses.  As long as you want better uncorrected vision and are a good candidate, LASIK seems reasonable to me.

Jay Bansal, MD · Answer

LASIK is accurate to around a quarter to a half diopter of treatment on average.  This makes it possible to treat low prescriptions and gain some benefit.  The happiest patients are often the ones with the higher prescriptions because they had more to gain from the laser procedure.  Low prescription LASIK patients can often be very happy as well though if they feel that their glasses or contacts are a significant burden for them.

Emil William Chynn, MD, FACS, MBA · Answer

when i was cutting flaps a few years ago, ie when i was performing LASIK or IntraLase (which is cutting a flap w a laser, btw), i would routinely refuse to laser people whose prescription was below -1.00, as i didn't feel that the risk-benefit ratio was there

	5 years ago i switched my entire practice to ASA, which is Advanced Surface Ablation, which is a noncutting procedure (either LASEK or epiLASEK). since then, i've done people as low as -0.50, because the procedure is 10x safer, so the risk-benefit ratio is positive

	if i were you, i would get ASA for low Rx's and that's speaking as an ex-LASIK patient myself!

	hope this helps;)

Am I Crazy to Do LASIK with This Low Rx? I Would Sincerely Appreciate Advice (photo).

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Am I Crazy to Do LASIK with This Low Rx? I Would Sincerely Appreciate Advice (photo).

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