Myopic considering undercorrection

[alim]

I am a 35 yo with -5.75 (Right eye) and -5.5 (left eye). I have been a long term contact lense wearer. (Vision has improved -0.25 in both eyes in the past year). When I looked at getting Lasik in my 20s, I was told that my pupils were too big.

As I am 35, the Dr suggested monovision. I tried this with contact lenses and found that it was very difficult to read the computer. As I work on the computer a lot, this was not a viable option to me.

My optometrist had similar vision in her 20s and had laser surgery to fix. Upon her request, she was undercorrected at -1.0 in both eyes. She recommended this to me. She said I would need glasses for driving but it would slow down my dependence on reading glasses.

My real concern is with my family history. Both my father and his mother has the same prescription as me when they were in their 30s. As they got older their vision has slowly improved. My grandmother threw away her glasses in her late 70s and my dad in his mid 60s now no longer needs glasses except when driving. (He is quite comfortable driving around his farm without glasses - something he never was able to do at my age). Our family optometrist has said that i have exactly the same eyes as my grandmother anf father - big eyes physically with big pupils and that my eyesight will gradually improve too. I see my mother who has 20/20 until her early forties and now she needs her glasses for EVERYTHING! and is so dependent on them.

I would love some opinions - should I keep struggling with contacts? or should I go for lasik and be slightly undercorrected?

[PRKorIntacs]

Can you get your undercorrection in both eyes with contacts and wear glasses to drive? As your prescription changes, simply visit the optometrist to get a different power contact lens. Whatever undercorrection you want with lasik, contact lens should achieve that. I am looking into PRK myself because my eyes don't tolerate contact lens, if they did, I would stick with contact lens to reduce my dependancy on glasses. Any idea how common an undercorrection is? I want to be a -1.5 to stay out of readers and also because people get less nearsighted as they get older.

[alim]

Thank you. I would love some feedback. I saw my optometrist today as I have having massive problems with my contacts (unbelieveable to think last year I was wearing fortnightly sleep in contacts and have been doing so for the past 10 years!!!). Anyway, she recommended that I have lasik to -0.5 and -0.75. Lasik expert - will i have many glasses free years as I am 36 now. Am I likely to be in reading glasses within 10 years? Is it likely that I will become shortsighted again? Thank you! Or should I look at permanet contacts? Very confused but I am desperate to do something as glesses drive me crazy!!!

[vitaliny]

The vision improvement may mean that the age-related changes have already started in your eyes. Make sure your surgeon is aware of that - that might lead to complications after the surgery