LASIK AND PRK STATISTICS: YOUR CHANCES FOR SUCCESS
MYOPIA
Mild Myopia
You have mild nearsightedness if the sphere part of your eyeglass prescription is between 0.00 and minus 3.00 (negative 3.00) diopters. A patient with mild nearsightedness, or myopia, has essentially a 100 percent chance of achieving 20/40 vision or better and being able to drive without eyeglasses or contacts. The chance of achieving 20/20 vision on the first procedure is higher than 95 percent, and if enhancements are included, it rises to above 99 percent.
Moderate Myopia
You have moderate myopia if the sphere part of your eyeglass prescription is between minus 3.00 and minus 7.00 diopters. After the initial procedure, 99 percent of patients with moderate myopia achieve 20/40 vision or better. Of these, more than 90 percent achieve 20/20 vision or better. Including enhancement surgery, 100 percent of patients see 20/40 or better, and 99 percent see 20/20 or better.
High Myopia
You have high myopia if the sphere part of your eyeglass prescription is between minus 7.00 and minus 10.00 diopters. Patients with high myopia have a 98 percent chance of seeing 20/40 or better after the initial procedure and an 85 percent change of seeing 20/20. Including enhancement surgeries, they have a greater than 99 percent chance of seeing 20/40 or better and a 95 percent chance of seeing 20/20 or better.
Extreme Myopia
If the sphere part of your eyeglass prescription is more than minus 11.00, you have extreme myopia. Patients with extreme myopia have a 94 percent chance of achieving 20/40 vision or better after the initial procedure. Including enhancements, 90 percent of patients will have 20/20 vision or better.
Many patients with extreme myopia do well with LASIK, but we do not consider them optimal candidates. After LASIK patients in this range are more likely to have enhancements and more likely to have problems with quality of vision, such as glare, halos, or hazy vision. Patients in this group need to thoroughly discuss the risks and benefits of LASIK, as well as other options, with their doctors. Although enhancement rates are higher in this group of patients, because of other variables in the eye, there may be limitations on what can be done. Most surgeons do not generally recommend PRK for these patients, who may be better candidates for the implantable contact lens (see chapter 11, "Other Vision Correction Procedures").
Hyperopia
