What is the Ideal Corneal Thickness for -7.5 Prescription?

Question

I am 28 and my prescription is -7 and -7.5 , after 2 days of not wearing contact lenses my cornea thickness was 490, I re checked after taking lubricants drops 2 days later and it changed to 515, doctor said that I have to take lubricants drops for 3 weeks then he will re examine corneal thickness to get better result does the drops makes the corneal thicker in 3 weeks ? or its just hydrates the corneal surface to make difference with the measurements! is there a risk 4 me if I did the surgery?

Jay Bansal, MD · Answer

Depending upon the laser, the procedure could thin the cornea by about 12-16 microns per diopter of your prescription so a 7.5 diopter prescription might require 90-120 microns.  Customized wavefront occasionally takes more tissue as well, again depending on the laser system in use.  PRK or LASEK can be beneficial in cases where the cornea is thin as it doesn't cut as deep for the flap.  A flap can be anywhere from 80-150 microns depending on the medical tool used. 

	Answering your question of ideal cornea thickness, a thicker cornea is better.  PRK or LASEK might be the better choice.  Much of these numbers depend on the specific laser and methods used and each surgeon should be aware of the accuracy of their own measurements.  Surgeons should also measure thicknesses intra-operatively, particularly if there is any question about the safety of the procedure.

Emil William Chynn, MD, FACS, MBA · Answer

You're very smart. All you did is hydrate and swell up your cornea maybe. Don't get LASIK at 490. LASEK would be much much safer. Good luck

What is the Ideal Corneal Thickness for -7.5 Prescription?

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What is the Ideal Corneal Thickness for -7.5 Prescription?

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