How has laser vision correction for high myopia improved since 1994 to the present?
• Answer: Studies have been conducted for high myopic LASIK in terms of safety and efficacy. 196 eyes of 118 consecutive patients treated for myopia >-10 diopters. The eyes were followed at 3 to 5 months and 10 years after surgery. At 10 years, 40% were still spectacle independent. Almost 30% of the eyes have undergone retreatments. 42% of eyes were within 1 diopter of targeted refraction and 61% were within 2 diopters. The conclusion of the study indicates LASIK is no longer favored as a procedure of choice for the treatments of high myopia. The surgeries were performed with a VISX laser and an automated corneal shaper which are old technology. Many of the eyes that were operated on at this time would have been excluded today from having LASIK. At the Shealy Eye Laser Center, SBK and Wavefront lasers have made the outcomes much more stable and predictable and at our center we will perform laser vision correction for up to -14 diopters of myopia with up to 6 diopters of hyperopia. LASI
