Hello all, I am new to this site! found it in a search engine and since it relates to me, I registered. I did a little reading first and I am perfectly aware of its risks and by being allowed the previlage to post here, I can be fully made aware of the benefits and risks. I understand lasik is a success for the majority but some still are unhappy with its outcomes.

The main thing I want to do is just get a free eye test, I am very curious about my conerea thickness and its topography for high order abberviations. If you read down, youll see why.



1. What is the minimum conerea thickness one would need considering a diopter of about -6 with less than +1 astigmatism with an ablation zone of 8mm for my large pupils? I think 550 is safe and enough for enhancements too but what is the safe minimum? I want 300um left.

2. Do pupil size make much of a difference? Many doctors say it has no revelence, others say itll slightly affect night vision but it wont make you a poor lasik candidate. Probably not a major requirement in itself?

3. Does being both myoptic(about -6) and astigmatism(about +1) complicate the procedure? Is the lasik able to correct both concurrently without complications?

4. What price estimates could I be looking at?

5. What is the best type of lasik? I hear good things about 3-D VISX Star S4 ‘Active Trak’ Excimer Laser. Are there any other good types? I may respond to a different type better.

6. Can the flap be cut with a laser instead of a microkeratome? The laser cut would be 100% sterile of course, safer and avoids the risk of debris that could reside on the microkeratome. I did read that the Bausch & LOMB Hansatome™ Microkeratome, which is an automated machine that makes a consistently uniform flap is the way to go. The laser in the INTRALASE does not cut as precisely as the automated blade used in the Hansatome process. Do you feel that the microkeratome's benefits outweigh its risks?

7. What are the odds of better than 20/10? 20/13? 20/15? 20/20? 20/25? 20/30? 20/40? I understand perfectly that lasik is a science designed to improve your current vision and may eliminate the need for glasses or other corrective devices. I am not expecting super vision or any miracles but it would be nice to know how favorable my odds are and what percentage of people achieve the following results. This of course is different for each person depending on many factors but will help aid my decision.

8. I dont wish to dwell on the negetives but I wish to be perfectly clear of risks. How common are complications, including overall? Overcorrection, undercorrection, centered islands, hazing, ghosting, prolonged pain, infection, doubled vision, contrast loss, night vision loss(halos, starbursts) etc? Are any of the above correctable in part of full?

9. Is the age of 23 old enough? I know the minimum age is 21 but I have heard of some doctors saying to wait even longer. My vision has been stable for many years save for 1/4 diopter several months ago.

10. I see 20/30 in OS(left dorminiant eye) and 20/50 in OD(right eye) but when my eyes get tired, it regresses to 20/40 and 20/70. I believe I may have major high order abberviations, especially in my right eye. I do notice theres some very slight doubling on the upper right field with my right eye. irregular asigisim(sp) and/or a major abberivation located percisly there?

11. Is there any reasons to wait even if I am an acceptable candidate? Any new wavefront technologies comming out "soon"? I am young and in no real hurry and if impending technologies offer even better results and less complications than what is out now, I will gladly wait. I have heard about the new MEL 80 which is the 5th generation laser. It is very fast with all the technology of Carl Zeiss Meditec involved in this refractive laser system. The new MEL 80 has a very small spot of only 0.7mm with Gaussian beam profile.(compare with Visx 4.5mm average spot size and Bausch & Lomb 217 laser 2.0 mm) When will it be available in USA?


Ok thats all the questions I can think of now. Anything else I should ask when I go to the doctor to get an eye test to determine if im eligable for lasik? Also It would be nice if any of you can answer some or all my questions I have now

by the way, one more thing, I was thinking of intacs instead and I can see its much less risky and can be removed as well if its results are undesired. lasik is permaent, like it or not. Only thing is intacs will correct -3 of my -5 pescription and I dont know how well it can fix my -.5 astigmigism. How well will I see with a -2 remaining pescription without astigmigism? with astigmigism?

hi myoptic33,

I am also considering lasik. I was reading your post and have similar questions and concerns. I wanted to see if you had any of these questions answered.?
I was recommended for the custom wavefront, but I am concerned about the effect of my large pupils. The pre-op doc said the machine can handle up to 8.5mm. Any additional insight would be greatly appreciated.

I had an initial evaluation today and was told my pupils are at 7mm. My left eye is at -4 x -1.25x170 and my right eye is at -1.5 x -1.75 x 170.

Hi, I can try to answer a couple of your questions:

4. What price estimates could I be looking at?
$3000-$4000 for both eyes. I would not go to any eye center that is offering you those deals for $249 an eye or anything like that. This surgery performed by an experienced surgeon at a respected eye center should cost you $3000-$4000.


9. Is the age of 23 old enough? I know the minimum age is 21 but I have heard of some doctors saying to wait even longer. My vision has been stable for many years save for 1/4 diopter several months ago.

I had Lasik done when I was 23. It was actually about a week and a half before I turned 24. The doctors said as long as my presciption had been stable for about 2 years, which it had, then I should be fine. My surgery was almost one year ago and I have 20/15 vision. I am completely satisfied with the results and would make the same decision again if I had to do it over.

Best of luck to you!

I have deleted my own post because I do not agree with the editing policies on this site.

wow, you use a lot of big words and terminology i've never even considered. i just researched how many people got their eyeballs fried out and went blind from having a laser beam shot into them.... just kidding....

seriously though, i really only looked into doctors who had good reputations, what their success rates were and stuff like that. i found a reputable doctor and went from there. i got the custom wavefront intralase surgery, with a lifetime guarantee and it ran me around $4,000.

i never even considered thinking about questions 1,2, and 3.... definitely concerned about the price, was terrified of the blade so opted for the laser, everyone i know who had laser ended up with 20/20 or better, and nobody i know had any complications other than dry eyes.

for me, i thought i had ruined my life because my vision was so blurry for so long after my surgery. then i came here and found out it's quite normal to have blurry vision for several months post-op. stupid hype! so be prepared to not see perfectly for awhile after surgery. i had the normal complications.... halos, blurry vision, dry eye, dry eye and more dry eye..... but after using more tears, the dry eye faded and the blurry vision cleared up faster.

it wasn't painful, just some pressure on my eyeballs and inspite of the anxiety medicine they gave me, i was terrified to the point that i was so tensed up during the surgery, that my whole body just hurt after it was over!

i'd definitely do it over again exactly the same (though i'd use more tears sooner and hopefully heal faster from it!). it's well worth it! i was legally blind without corrective lenses before surgery, and now i see 20/12.5 in both eyes!!! :)

I had a different type of laser correction, PRK but it was in addition to PTK treat RCE (recurrent corneal erosion). I wouldn’t have even considered doing laser surgery was it not for 15 months of RCE which is debilitating (and I would have for the rest of my life). Getting it fixed outweighed the risks. Everything is going alright so far, but it seems I now have astigmatism in a different direction.

All the statistics and odds won’t matter if something doesn’t go right for you should you chose to have a surgery. Know that you will have to sign a disclaimer that is going to say there is a possibility (and it will list a number of things could go wrong) and that will be that if things don’t work out. There is risk no matter what.

I understand you are just asking questions and doing your research which is great. But I’ve heard plenty of stories where things didn’t turn out so good and there were on going problems. Having had an ongoing eye problem (with pain and affected vision) is something I wouldn’t wish on anybody. You vision isn’t that bad…would you really want to risk it? You'd REALLY want to think hard about that.