Can I have LASIK after DMEK?
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Are you experiencing "ghosting" or other visual challenges after DMEK and have heard you may be a LASIK candidate? Dr. Price explains.
Sometimes patients experience residual
astigmatism or nearsightedness/farsightedness after cataract surgery and small incision DMEK
(also known as a DMEK Triple Procedure - see this post for a video). PRK or LASIK can be used to correct this in many patients resulting in optimal vision.
Who is a candidate?
For typical patients, there is no age limit for LASIK. What we look for in any laser refractive surgery candidate is the shape of their cornea and the thickness of the cornea relative to amount of correction that has to be done to make sure we do not overly thin or weaken the cornea.
For patients with
Fuchs' Dystrophy who have had DMEK, we want to make sure there is no abnormal thinning of the central cornea, as that can sometimes happen after the edema (swelling) in Fuchs' dystrophy clears.
PRK or LASIK?As corneal specialists at Price Vision Group, Dr. Feng and I typically only recommend
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for those with
full thickness corneal transplants or
deep lamellar anterior grafts. PRK has no advantage for reduced dry eye relative to LASIK. It is actually a common misconception that PRK is better for dry eyes - we believe it may actually be worse.
What if I had DSAEK/DSEK?
Because of the increased thickness of the graft,
DSAEK/DSEK prevents accurate screening of the posterior surface of the cornea to rule out early keratoconus, a contra-indication to either LASIK or PRK. Mapping the anterior and posterior surfaces of the cornea provides for a safer laser refractive surgery that will not lead to an unstable cornea and development of
keratoconus.
Is LASIK safe?
As the first LASIK provider in Indiana, we have continually researched LASIK and actually helped gain FDA approval of the original excimer laser. This is a question that has been asked since I started doing LASIK and so a few years ago the Cornea Research Foundation began the largest study ever conducted to measure long-term patient satisfaction ratings comparing the two most popular vision correction methods - LASIK and contact lenses. After surveying over 1,800 people each year for 3 years, we found that overall LASIK is the preferred method resulting in better visual outcomes. When previous contact lens wearers who had LASIK were asked if LASIK worked better for them, 97% agreed.
You can learn more about this study here.
Schedule an Evaluation:
If you would like to see if your vision can be optimized, contact the Price Vision Group office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Price or Dr. Feng at 800-317-EYES.
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