01-27-13, 10:35 AM | |
VF Supporter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: wisconsin
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It wouldn't hurt to get evaluated again because with the new intralase and wavefront guided lasers (allowing "custom cornea" surgery) the parameters are sometimes increased as far as what they can do. Also, PRK is sometimes an option if you aren't a candidate for LASIK, although that is actually an older procedure so they probably would have offered it at the time if it were an option for you. There is also the Visian ICL http://www.staar.com/html/refractive-products.html. That is MUCH more expensive than LASIK or PRK (probably about double), but that is an option that wasn't available years ago. To put it simply, it's sort of like surgically implanting a contact lens inside the eye. When they do this surgery, they leave your natural lens in your eye, unlike cataract surgery where they remove the natural lens and replace it with an intraocular lens implant. It preserves whatever focusing at near (accomodation) that you have if you are younger than 40. They can also do what is called "clear lens extraction" where they basically do cataract surgery on you (minus the fact that you don't actually have a cataract) and then they can implant an IOL that is "multifocal". That is, there is some correction for presbyopia (not perfect, people sometimes have to reach for readers in low light, etc). Depending on your degree of astigmatism, that may not be the way to go though.
Presbyopia is what Joni-O and patrice were talking about. It's the inevitable post 40 decline in the ability of our natural lens to accomodate, or change focus, at near. It is different from being farsighted, but has the same effect essentially in that it becomes difficult to read. People who are nearsighted because of their myopia can simply take their glasses off to read when they reach this stage of their life (when presbyopia sets in) because their eyes don't actually have to adjust focus with the lens...their nearsighted focal point is right there at close up. Monovision (leaving one eye nearsighted) is one way to preserve reading, like Joni-O had done. It's not for everyone and it's not perfect, but it can be an option. If anyone has any questions about this or any other eye related question, feel free to pm me.
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Colleen |
01-27-13, 11:10 AM | ||
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Massachusetts
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