My youngest son has terrible vision. He has worn glasses since he was two years old, and they have always had thick lenses, even with the newest lightweight technology. He has been waiting anxiously until he turned 25 to see if Lasik surgery was right for him (that’s what they recommend to make sure your eyes aren’t going to continue to change). He got an appointment with a surgeon that his doctor recommended, waited months for the appointment, and then was told, “Nope, you’re not a candidate for Lasik because of flat corneas…maybe PRK might work, talk to someone else”. And that’s about all the information he got after waiting months for this appointment.
He has been very discouraged, thinking that there is nothing he can do about his vision. He never had the illusion that he could get rid of glasses entirely, but if it could be improved significantly, he’d be thrilled. It’s really frustrating to have waited for so long to see someone, to get little in the way of suggestions, so I’m trying to help him find an eye surgeon who does an entire range of procedures, not just one thing, who can help him determine what is the safest and most appropriate procedure. I found someone online in NYC who sounds amazing, but how do you know? Just because a doctor has gotten all these incredible reviews, it doesn’t mean they are true and accurate reviews. Anyone could put a review online. And eye surgery is not that common a procedure, so it’s hard to get personal references. Something like this is so important to get right!
How bad is your son’s vision? PRK works best with < 6 D of correction. If he needs more than that, your son should think about whether glasses or contacts is the safest procedure. PRK has a much longer recovery time, so he would need to think about how much time off from work he could get. Some people aren’t good candidates for either LASIK or PRK. If you are a high risk patient, don’t keep doctor shopping until you find someone willing to do a purely cosmetic surgery. For those who aren’t candidates for either LASIK or PRK, the latest procedure is Phakic intraocular lenses, but those have their own side effects.
This is where my daughter and I go for our vision care. Doing lasik is their specialty. When D2 is ready for her lasik surgery, she probably will get it done here.
The only thing is they are not very puncture, so be prepared to wait, but they are very thorough when checking your eyes.
I think New York Magazine publishes an extensive article each year on the Top Doctors in their respective fields… you should be able to find that online. Hope that helps! And I have always found that nurses are the best source of info whenever I’ve needed to find a specialist.
Hmm, it doesn’t look like they do surgery of the type my son is looking for at the SUNY optical school…and I don’t know that he’d want to do anything involved with students, as far as his eyesight.
As far as the Ear, eye and throat hospital, is that the Manhattan one, on 64th street? When I go to their website, it doesn’t even list what kind of things they do for vision care. I suspect he is not a candidate for Lasik, as the surgeon told him, but will have to do something more extensive and complicated.
With the New York Magazine, Top Doctors, I think I’ve seen that article before. I had a question if they are really the “top doctors”, or if they are basically advertisements for doctors who want more business?
His vision is very bad, between 6.5-7.0 D of correction. Contacts do not work well for him at all. I don’t think he cares about time off of work, whatever it takes. He’s not just looking for someone who will do a specific cosmetic procedure, he is looking for an excellent surgeon who will do the RIGHT procedure for him. I have read about LASEK (not Lasik), and other procedures that are useful for people with very poor vision.
He is not nearsighted, he is farsighted, so the Phakic lenses don’t seem like they would be appropriate, plus, they sound unnecessarily risky.
Thanks, @oldmom4896! Even if I can’t find something on NY Magazine, it seems like it would be worth paying this company a little bit for a membership. They seem extremely legitimate.
Check out the physicians at New York Eye and Ear (part of Mt. Sinai now) on 14th Street. Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat on 64th St. is part of the Northwell network (Lenox Hill in NYC). My niece had surgery at the former for an eye issue, as did my sister. Neither surgery was to correct vision, however, so I have no idea what procedures they do on that front.
I have flat corneas also and have a high index prescription. I’ve been told that I am not a good candidate for eye corrective surgery.
I’ve experimented with many different contact lenses. I’ve found that daily lenses work the best for me. But they are best when I’m not doing work on the computer though but for days where I’m doing more casual things.
It’s really annoying to be that person who has bad eyesight but not great options. It is so much better than when I was young, now that they have high index lenses and no glare coatings.
I’m sorry you have to deal with that @deb922 . I am no longer 20/10, and it’s like a major disability for me. I can’t imagine having significantly worse vision.
My son has never had luck with contact lenses, the prescription is too strong. He’s a software engineer, so ordered some special computer glasses for work.
It does sound like there are options for corrective surgery when you have a high prescription and flat corneas, just not Lasik. I wonder if the person who told you that was only talking about Lasik?
Since LASEK is essentially the same as PRK with a possible faster recovery time, the maximum range of correction with LASEK and PRK should be the same.
Would you consider going down to Wills Eye Hospital in Philly for a consult? That would probably be the best one within driving distance.
Maybe ICL (Implantai Contact Lens) is an option
The place to go is the eye center/hospital in Philadelphia. I wish I knew the name of it but it is the place where anyone with serious eye problems goes. All the best eye doctors are there. Very specialized. Maybe someone else here will know or you could ask your local eye doctor. I happened to have a conversation with my eye doctor about the facility and she was very familiar with it. You aren’t too far from Philly…maybe this is the answer.
Wills is excellent and considered the top east coast place for eyes. My eye doc practice prefers folks who have done fellowships at Wills. Totally worth checking out.
Does your son have a regular opthalmologist whom he sees? I would find out from that person if there is a surgical procedure that could help and, if so, who s/he would recommend. It seems to me you’re looking for two things at the same time – a procedure and a surgeon. I’d first research whether surgery is a possible solution before I looked for the surgeon him/herself.