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1. Ini says:

   January 11, 2012 at 4:35 pm

   Hello Dave,

   I’m 38 and looking at having LASIK. My vision is -6.50 in the right and -6.00 in the left.

   What kind of surgery will you advise? I hear there’s a new one called C-Ten. Pls help

   Reply
   • Dave Allamby says:

     January 12, 2012 at 10:26 am

     hi Ini, My choice for your prescription is blade free femtosecond LASIK, including any wavefront/aspheric option. C-Ten is a variant of PRK and offers no benefit apart from possible slightly faster epithelial healing, nothing actually new. There is a comment below in this list from a patient that had C-Ten.
     Regards, Dave

     Reply
2. Natasha Vidas says:

   December 1, 2011 at 12:30 am

   Dear Dr Allamby

   I hope this is the right space to ask a question.

   I came in to FOCUS on Monday (28th Nov) for my laser eye surgery assessment (the staff were lovely and really helpful). After all the tests I was told that I have 20/12 vision with my contact lens correction, which is something I suspected but wasn’t sure about. The optometrist explained that not all people can see 20/12 no matter how much one tries to correct their vision with lenses – which is something I didn’t know. She said I was quite unusual in that I have a -5 prescription with 20/12 vision (with lens correction). I was told that the statistics for FOCUS and people obtaining 20/12 after surgery was 49%. I am keen to have the surgery done (and have provisionally booked to have it done next Tuesday 6th Dec at 3pm) but I am nervous as I might only end up with 20/20 or 20/15 post-op which is not as good as the vision I currently have with my contact lenses.

   I would really value your feedback/opinion on this. I guess I am after a little reassurance, not sure that is possible. One of the main reasons I chose to come to FOCUS was the excellent results reported for 20/20 vision post-op i.e. 100%, I didn’t realise that that might not translate into my vision being as good post-op as pre-op i.e. 20/12.

   My other question is, will my corneas be as strong post-op as they are pre-op or does one end up with weakened corneas and if so, what are the implications?

   Thank you so much.

   Kind regards
   Natasha

   Reply
   • Dave Allamby says:

     December 1, 2011 at 9:26 pm

     hi Natasha. Good question, glad you asked that. It’s a common misconception that 20/20 is ‘perfect’ vision whereas it is rather a good ‘normal’ level of sight. We have two levels of vision in standard testing that are better than 20/20, namely 20/16 and 20/12. The maximum that a human eye is capable of is 20/10, beyond which there are not enough photoreceptors in the retina, i.e. not enough ‘pixels’. Very few people can see 20/10, but a percentage can manage 20/12 when both eyes are fully corrected with the best lens possible.
     Our patients who have LASIK typically report that they see better than they did with glasses or contact lenses, which is a testament to what modern LASIK is capable of. However, in your case at 20/12, close to the limit of human vision, there is no headroom left to improve on! Most of our patients are within 0.25 dioptres of the target refraction, i.e. from +0.25 to -0.25 when we aim for zero. You wouldn’t really notice +0.25, but at -0.25 you would drop one line on the chart, i.e. 20/16, without any glasses. Of course, if you choose to wear glasses of -0.25D you would see 20/12, but no-one would choose to do that! Why wear glasses when you can see better than 20/20?
     if you definitely want near the limit of human vision and a guarantee of that, then LASIK is definitely NOT for you! It comes down to your expectations. We can get in the upper 90s percentage of patients to see 20/16 without glasses, and half to see 20/12 including patients who could not achieve 20/12 previously with glasses or contacts. It’s a personal choice, in the end. But we don’t have now or in the foreseeable future, a technology to give 20/12 vision to most or all patients. Too many variables in a biological treatment, with all the variables that humans bring, such as healing responses, immune systems etc.
     Best regards, Dave

     Reply
3. Vicki says:

   November 29, 2011 at 4:58 pm

   Hi dave,

   I’m considering getting laser eye surgery. I have had two consults and was told I am a candidate for wavefront lasik but am on the border for cornea thickness in my left eye. My prescription is -7 in the right and -7.25 in the left. I also have astigmatism (-1.25 and -2.00). I’ve been monitored for lupus my whole life but not diagnosed and am worried that the combination of autoimmune, high prescription and thin cornea makes me higher risk for complications/needing enhancements. What are your thoughts?

   Thanks!

   Reply
   • Dave Allamby says:

     November 29, 2011 at 5:04 pm

     hi Vicki, Do you know your corneal thickness? Why are you being monitored for lupus? You have some symptoms but not antibodies? How old are you? Thanks Dave

     Reply
     • Vicki says:

       November 29, 2011 at 6:54 pm

       Hi Dave,

       I’m 26. I’m not sure what the total thickness is but the doctor told me I would have 298 after surgery which is just below their usual 300 limit (they said their limit is more conservative than others which I think is 250) and it would be unlikely they could do any enhancements after the surgery. I’ve been monitored for lupus because I have reynauds and some blood work results that have indicators of lupus (ie high white blood cell count). My mom was also recently diagnosed with it.

       Vicki

       Reply
       • Dave Allamby says:

         December 5, 2011 at 2:11 pm

         hi Vicki. I think there is no real difference between 298 and 300, which I agree is the right limit. However there is little hard science to get that number, but that is the figure most of us use. In view of your possible lupus, you might consider the 4th generation Starr ICL, which is available in toric forms to also correct astigmatism as well as your high level of short-sight. This avoids layering your cornea and possible healing complications (very hard to say if that would actually happen, but you do have abnormal white cell count so some immune system irregularities). The ICL (intraocular contact lens) lives within the front of the eye, between the cornea and iris. The main risk of ICL is development of cataract.
         Regards, David

         Reply
4. Jean says:

   October 12, 2010 at 5:23 pm

   I have been wearing RGP lenses for over 10 years now. The prescription in my RGP lenses was stable at -8.5 the entire time. Once I started looking into laser surgery I heard I would need to be out of my RGPs for over a month, so I asked for soft contacts. 3 weeks later I was told my prescription is now -12.5 and I am no longer a good candidate for LASIK. My corneas are around 525 each in thickness and I have net been told I have large pupils so I assume they are average size. Do I have any other options besides PIL/OIL as these are too expensive for me and I don’t like the idea of having a lens inside my eye forever.

   Thanks!

   Reply
   • Dave Allamby says:

     October 12, 2010 at 5:38 pm

     Hi Jean
     Unfortunately, you would still have significant myopia and need glasses after LASIK, based on your numbers and with an average pupil size. Just too much myopia, sorry!
     Best regards
     Dave

     Reply