Regression with astigmatism

[rosie61]

Glad to find this board.....have read through a lot of the messages and very helpful to know you are not the only person in the world that Lasik did not give you a 20/20 result.

I had Lasik in 2000, original surgery in June and then an enhancement in October of 2000. I did end up with 20/15 and was so happy....but, gradually my eyes regressed. Within a year I needed contacts again and I could live with that until the last year, my right eye has developed astigmatism which I never had pre-Lasik. Since last June I have noticed it is very blurry at times. It has gradually worsened until in January at my yearly checkup my eye doctor can't fit me with a lense that will clear things up. My (good) left eye is a -1.00 and the right is -2.25. The problem is the astigmatism never measures the same.....my reading have been different every week since trying to find a prescription. I tried a toric lense only to only be able to see 20/60. My eye doc is baffled at what to do and is sending me to a laser doc to get a better pix of my eye.
He says it is a big increase for one year.

Has anyone else had this problem and can it be fixed. I'm starting to get worried I may be stuck with this blurriness for good.

Before Lasik I was a -4.75 and -5.25. The readings I have now have been that way for a year. It just the astigmatism. Could a person have another enhancement for the astigmatism or is 3 times pushing your luck. My appointment is next week and I would appreciate any insight or help on what to ask about.

[LasikExpert]

... my right eye has developed astigmatism which I never had pre-Lasik. Since last June I have noticed it is very blurry at times.

Astigmatism is when the cornea is not spherical like the top of a ball, but is elliptical like the back of a spoon. The "tip" of the spoon bends light differently and can cause blurr or ghost images, especially in low light environments when the pupil becomes large.

... It has gradually worsened until in January at my yearly checkup my eye doctor can't fit me with a lense that will clear things up. My (good) left eye is a -1.00 and the right is -2.25. The problem is the astigmatism never measures the same.....my reading have been different every week since trying to find a prescription.

These symptoms indicate that there may be corneal disease that is causing or contributing to the problem.

... My eye doc is baffled at what to do and is sending me to a laser doc to get a better pix of my eye.

This will probably include an Orbscan, which is an elevation map of the front and the back of the cornea. This is a very good diagnostic tool

Before Lasik I was a -4.75 and -5.25.

Your preoperative refractive error was moderate.

The readings I have now have been that way for a year. It just the astigmatism.

This strongly indicates that the progressive astigmatism relates to a change in the health of the cornea, not the refractive surgery.

Could a person have another enhancement for the astigmatism or is 3 times pushing your luck.

Enhancements are theoretically possible so long as there is enough corneal tissue and the eye is healthy. Until a diagnosis is made for the cause of your progressive astigmatism, additional elective surgery of any kind is probably not wise.

My appointment is next week and I would appreciate any insight or help on what to ask about.

Please report back your doctor's findings.