Comments on: Part 6: LASIK vs PRK/LASEK? Which laser procedure is best?

By: Dave Allamby

Dave Allamby — Sat, 07 May 2011 10:04:22 +0000

Hi Julie
Thank you for your email. -12.00D is of course an extreme prescription, and only treatable if the patient has thicker than normal corneas, plus average to small pupil size in the dark (scotopic pupil diameter).
The 250 microns residual bed thickness is for LASIK, not LASEK/PRK, and has been replaced by clinics such as ours with the thicker 300 microns. For LASEK/PRK the standard residual stroma should be 350 microns. If you are over 40, we sometimes can target, e.g. -2.00 diotres rather than zero, say that there is very clear near vision at a normal desk working/reading distance – but will still need glasses for driving/TV etc, but a much more useful vision, and not visually handicapped as with -12.00D.
Hope that helps you. You will need a consultation to see what is possible, and get the relevant measurement.
Dave

By: julie

julie — Fri, 06 May 2011 22:03:29 +0000

Hello Dave,
My precription is minus 12[glasses]and I would like to know if you could do Lasek?Can you estimate how much corneal tissue would have to be removed?By way,what residual stromal thickness do you regard as a safe minimum.The general guidance is 250 microns but I know some clinics differ.
Kind regards and thank you for your help.
Julie

By: Dave Allamby

Dave Allamby — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:23:09 +0000

Hi Chad
You will be better off with PRK if you are planning Muay Thai training. Other activities shouldn’t be a problem, but having done MT myself for years know first hand the blows to the eye you can get!
Best regards
Dave

By: Chad

Chad — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:17:01 +0000

I am in the Canadian army and can’t decide on which procedure to go with because I am going to get one or the other on my summer break. I will have 20 days off, roughly. I am leaning towards prk even though I have an extremely low prescription. I do not want flap complications as I will be taking up muay Thai and already rock climb and scuba dive. But with this new type of LASIK it sounds like flap complications are not a real concern. I will also be trying to get on a jump(para) course in the near future. Any recomendations on which way I should lean towards before I go too a clinic. You seem to be more honest than most and are not just going for a money grab. So I don’t want to go on empty handed. And will trust your opinion.

By: Dave Allamby

Dave Allamby — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:20:53 +0000

Hi Olivia
Do you know the thickness measurements? Less than 500 microns and most surgeons will opt for PRK/LASEK which is wise. With only a small refractive error of only -2.25 it was not the size of treatment that indicated PRK/LASEK but sounds like the measurement itself being sub-500. You will do very well with surface laser treatment but needs a few days off.
With best regards
Dave

By: Olivia Flanagan

Olivia Flanagan — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:36:12 +0000

Dear David, I have a prescription of -2 and -2.25 and I have looked into Lasik before, only to be told that I have borderline thin corneas and am therefore better suited to Lasek. Might Z Lasik improve my chances of being able to have my eyes treated, given that the flap creation is so much more efficient and accurate?