Alex Said:

Refractive eye surgery.........?

We Answered:

I have heard countless claims, but few eye surgeons are going to perform the surgery until you're at least 21 and have a stable prescription.

Some claim you can have parental consent, some claim it's 18, but I can say from personal experience that the eye surgeons I have spoken to said 21 was their minimum.

Jeanne Said:

Anything to correct astigmatism besides refractive surgery?

We Answered:

There are eye exercises that can help with your eyesight. I suffered from astigmatism and myopia and was able to eliminate them completely with eye exercises. I am seeing perfectly ever since. These exercises are completely safe.

Here is a program you might find interesting:
http://www.refractiveeyedisorders.com/ry…

Best regards,

Marjorie Said:

Where can I find doctors who offer FEMTEC laser surgery (refractive eye surgery aka laser eye surgery)?

We Answered:

Go to your ophthalmoligist and he or she can refer you. You should consider doing PRK. A little longer recover time, but no "flap" also in future you won't have problems with the flap getting wrinkled or damaged from a blow to the eye.

Joel Said:

When can refractive eye surgery be considered non-cosmetic?

We Answered:

Generally it is 'medically indicated' and not purely cosmetic in nature when the individual cannot receive adequate corrected (20/40 or better in ONE eye) vision with glasses OR contacts. If contacts, maybe some specially designed, or hard RGP, etc give you improved vision that your glasses can't,.. it is still "cosmetic".

Now,.. even if the 'laser' eye surgery (generally anyway) is deemed 100% a necessity for medical needs.. ie: you are legally blind without it -- Insurance companies still usually won't pay it. They have such things as Lasik and the like coded as cosmetic, and generally won't budge unless you really make your own case for it (and it isn't stated VERY specifically in their policy).

I am unfamiliar with 'vision insurance' -- I do know medical insurance covers alot of 'eye procedures' as the eye is an organ of your body -- so I would think 'vision insurance', specifically, might be a bit more lenient in the rarer case of a surgery , usually cosmetic in nature, needed as medical necessity and might pay it.. or partial.

Things are changing though -- all over. I'm not saying it will be covered any time soon.. in fact if you are referring to Lasik -- the FDA, among other organizations are really starting to turn their heads with the vast surfacing of the small percentage of strongly negative outcomes. I doubt it will ever be FDA 'dissaproved' -- but it is possible some tighter regulations could be placed. Though 1-2% of cases (and that is being under-conservative) do end up horribly.. and I would guess up to 10% of cases end up much less than what the person expected. IE: Maybe end up with 20/40 in one eye, 20/60 in the other.. etc. But I digress.

Medical options to improve vision that are necessary ---

Grafts -- (Corneal replacements) *Cornea is the outer surface of your eye just in front of your Iris*

Cataract surgery (IIRC).

Vitrecomy due to complication.

Laser in the eye(s) to relieve pressure.

Corneal Dystrophy, like Keratoconus is most certainly a 'medical condition' -- and there are quite a few treatments coming out for this progressive disease -- The latest is something call corneal cross linking (CXL) which takes Riboflavin drops in the eye, with a special wave length of UV-A light.. to strengthen the cornea and essentially (so far in the follow up studies) -- Halt the progression of a generally progressive disease. With often some slight regression in the disease (minor). Yet this is FAR from covered by insurance.. even though if the studies continue to show people's eyes holding out it would be most advantageous for insurance to pay for it because it would essentially eliminate them paying (potentially) for multiple Corneal Transplants in the future (ALOT more expensive). Just another example I'm familiar with. -- I absolutely despise insurance companies.. really do. I wish there were a 'good' way to pay for health care that didn't involve a company interested in only the bottom line approving or denying what you can or cannot have done medically. But, such is the way it is!

I can only say that in some cases where you can find a STRONG medical causation for your vision (especially with a doctor or two confer) -- You can advocate for yourself to your insurance and it isn't unheard of for them to pay for a procedure that otherwise never would have been approved.

Best of luck,

Arlene Said:

Can vision get worse after Laser Refractive Surgery?

We Answered:

The simple answer, is yes, your vision can get worse after Lasik. This is why it is a good idea to ensure that you have stopped growing, or more so that your eyes have stopped growing before you have the surgery. In the US, the FDA regulates Lasik to patients over the age of 18. Wait till your vision has stabilized for at least 2 years before getting the surgery.

as for your question on if wearing glasses causes your vision to worsen, there is no clear cut answer. many will argue yes, while other will argue no. Glasses do not do anything to change the shape of your eye, but some would argue that staring at things too closely with glasses on can cause your vision to worsen.

Jessie Said:

Post Laser Eye Surgery/PRK Symptom?

We Answered:

i wouldnt judge it yet. refractive procedures can take 3 mo to level out even when they go right.

but a few things to think about:

1) if you're over 38 this is normal

2) if you're under 37 or so this is probably overcorrection. it may fix itself over time