Hello Doctor
My right eye has high power which is around -11.5 and my left eye is perfectly normal, I am wearing contact lens for the past 12 yrs for my right eye only and i wear specs to protect both of my eyes tho my left eye is normal,many docs says that i ahve a birth defect since 1 eye with high myopia and the other is perfect.
Will Lazik will work for my right eye?
or i ned to go for some other surgeries like PRK.
Becos of surgery or lazik is there any chances of damage for left eye since its perfect.
I am reularly checking my retina once in every year.

this is unusual being perfect in one eye and very severely myopic in the other. You may want to look into IOLs for that. Your pescription is out of range for lasik

Namaste Lakshmi,

Such a large difference from one eye to the other is not common. When your doctors label this a “birth defect” I question if there is an actual defect, or just that you have an uncommon refractive error from birth. For purposes of discussion, I will assume that you have no ocular problems other than simple refractive error in one eye.

Refractive surgery may be able to help you, but there are many, many variables than need to be evaluated.

Since you are having annual exams by a retina specialist, this would indicate that your retina remains healthy. You should, however, get your retina specialist to evaluate if you are a proper candidate for LASIK. The process of LASIK causes an increase of pressure inside the eye that can be problematic for patients with a weak retina attachment.

Myopia (nearsighted, shortsighted) vision of 11.50 diopters is within the range of correction of LASIK, however it is at the outer range and would be much less predictable than someone with a lower refractive error. You now all those 20-Minute Miracles you hear about in advertisements? They were not -11.50.

To be able to correct 11.50 D of myopia and the likely subsequent regression with LASIK, you would need to have very thick corneas. If your naturally dilated pupils are large, you would need even thicker pupils. It may be that your cornea simply is not thick enough to withstand the removal of enough tissue to correct your myopia and remain stable.

Two alternatives to LASIK may be important to investigate. Both involve placing artificial lenses within your nearsighted eye. If you are under age 40, then a phakic intraocular lens (P-IOL) may be able to provide much or all of the needed correction. If you are over age 40, then refractive lens exchange (RLE) may be a viable option. Both of these procedures carry their own risk and probability of good outcome that will depend upon your unique circumstances.

Surgery on your nearsighted eye should not affect your other eye.

What you would need is a comprehensive evaluation by a competent refractive surgeon. I recommend that you ask your retina specialist for a referral. Detailed measurements can be take to determine if LASIK, P-IOL, RLE, something else, or nothing is appropriate for you. After you have had this exam and are armed with more information and a recommended treatment plan, please return to this forum to discuss further your options.

Glenn Hagele
http://www.USAEyes.org

I am not a doctor.