I have just started looking into lasik as a possibility. My eyes have been fairly stable for the past 4 years. In fact, I'm still wearing the contact lenses that were prescribed 4 years ago! The last prescription (1995)was:

O.D. -6.25 spherical -3.75 cyl 011 axis
O.S. -7.00 spherical -3.75 cyl 167 axis.

At an eye exam two years later (1997), my eyes had not changed enough to justify a new set of lenses accord to the doctor.

My next exam is next Wednesday the 11th, when I'll find out how much my eyes have changed. However, presuming the numbers are somewhat similar, what type of outcome could I expect from lasik?

Thanks,

Trina

Trina,
Even if your prescription hasn't changed, you're still very nearsighted and have a lot of astigmatism. That doesn't mean you can't have LASIK. However, the doctor needs to carefully measure the curvature of your cornea (keratometry) as well as corneal thickness (pachymetry) and pupil size. If all these parameters are OK, I think you'd have a great outcome with LASIK. I always tell my patients when they have prescriptions similar to yours, that you may need a second treatment because the effect will often regress or diminish slightly within the first 3 months after LASIK.

You haven't told us how old you are, but if you are near 40, you will probably soon need reading glasses for anything up close. There are things your doctor can discuss with you, such as monovision, as we have discussed on this forum recently.

Good Luck!

Parag A. Majmudar, MD
Chicago

Hopefully next Wednesday I'll have more information on what some of my measurements are. I've never previously asked about the curvature or thickness of the cornea or about my pupil size. So at the very least I'll soon be in possession of more information.

If I may ask, how common is my amount of astigmatism?

As far as reading glasses, even though I'm not close to 40 (only 26), I wouldn't mind reading glasses as long as they are not the coke bottle glasses I use now!