Ive wanted to "fix" my eyes ever since I got my first pair of glasses at age 12.
I remember asking for laser eye surgery in my teens and my dad said I was too young.
I asked again in my early 20s and begin researching RK(obsolete), lasik, PRK, Intacs, IOLs, etc.
I posted on different forums about lasik and was told that lasik damages every eye
and those people warning me away from lasik had gotten lasik without being fully
informed of the risks and they wish they could go back to glasses. They pointed out
a list of over 100 different things that can go wrong with lasik. They also said
that lasik increases high order aberrations, gives worse vision than glasses(especially
at night and in dim light), creates a flap that never heals, causes dry eyes, puts
you at risk for ectasia, etc. In short, they scared me away from lasik.
When I mentioned PRK, they said it also damages your eyes, but they admit it's the
"lesser of the evils" compared to lasik. I asked about IOLs and they said that's for
those who wish to remove their cataracts. I researched IOLs and they are also being
done for extreme myopes who aren't good candidates for lasik/PRK. Some say that IOLs
are actually *more* risky than lasik, so it's rarely done if you are a good candidate
for lasik/PRK. I do know that getting IOLs also means youll never have to worry about
cataracts in the future. It robs you of all accomodation so they are best for those 40+
I also researched Intacs and again, was told even Intacs have their risks and could
damage your eyes and that they were meant for keratoconus and ectasia. They said my
choice was glasses or contact lenses(low risk) and there was nothing else I should
even consider. I had tried contacts about 20 times but they were never comfortable
for more than a few minutes. I could constantly feel them and they made my eyes
dry and achy. An optometrist said I had oily tears and wasn't surprised I could never
tolerate contacts.
Intacs are based on contact lense technology and from my research, they have the least risks
and most benefits. The biggest advantage is that Intacs can be removed and the effects
will revert back to pre-op levels. Unlike PRK, I can get Intacs in one eye first
and if for any reason it doesn't work out, I can have it removed and go back to glasses
without aniseikonia. Saving all my cornea leaves the options open for future technology
that replaces lasik/prk.
My left eye is -5, my right eye is -4.5 and I see 20/30 with glasses. Intacs will reduce
my myopia and hence reduce my dependency on glasses without needing reading glasses. I will
only need glasses for distance. I spend many hours a day on the computer and won't
need glasses for this after Intacs. I am surprised Intacs isn't marketed more, many people
are low to moderate myopes and could benefit from Intacs with less risks than lasik and even
PRK. They would have the safety net of Intacs being removable among other advantages.
I learned about stuff such as:
Though less well known, these small implants can improve vision in patients with mild to
moderate myopia without the risk of permanent eye damage inherent in the tissue removal
technique of LASIK. Intacs are semi-circular disks implanted in the cornea which stretch
it to assume a flatter shape. Though slightly less precise than LASIK, they are removeable
and replaceable, so if the patient has an unexpected over- or under-correction, the implant
can be removed and another of a different size inserted to obtain the desired correction.
The implants are located at the edge of the cornea, so the central visual area is completely
intact and undamaged, and the strength of the cornea is undiminished, making it a better
option for pilots and those who engage in contact sports where eye injury is a possibility.
Intacs are unsuitable for severe myopia and more than minor astigmatism (1.00 diopters),
as the cornea can only be stretched so far. If the Intacs are removed, vision returns to
its preoperative level. Aside from vision correction, Intacs are also used to treat keratoconus.
Intacs are FDA approved and 10 year studies have revealed no major problems with Intacs
and very few patient complaints; however, because the procedure takes more training than
LASIK, there are fewer eye surgery clinics offering it. However, the Intacs website gives
a list of practitioners in each state, as well a few in Canada, Europe and Mexico.
Intacs pros over PRK
1. No cornea removed, keep all 550 microns
2. Center of cornea untouched
3. Very remote chance of overcorrection(for me)
4. Maintain prolate cornea(Allegretto can do that too)
5. Intacs can be removed, keeps future options open
6. 3x faster healing time and less pain
7. Bandage contact lens for only a day
8. Faster surgery than lasik/prk
9. 60% chance of improving BCVA(for keratoconus?)
10. No risk of ectasia, makes cornea stronger
11. Can get in one eye at a time
12. Less risk of dry eyes
13. Consistant correction, litle variation
PRK pros over Intacs
1. Avoid 35mm HG vacuum for 8 seconds
2. No foreign object in eyes
3. Can correct me to -1 instead of -2
4. $2000 cheaper(hardly matters)
5. Avoid migration complication of Intacs