Statistical Outcomes According to Your Refraction
LASIK and PRK are very similar, and the same laser is used for both procedures. So it shouldn’t surprise you that the statistics are the same for PRK and LASIK: your chance of getting 20/20 vision doesn’t depend on which procedure you choose. The decision of whether to have LASIK or PRK is based on other factors- which procedure is safer for your eye and which give you the better recovery.
Your chance of achieving 20/20 vision depends on how nearsighted or farsighted you are. Find your most current eyeglass or contact lens prescription and look at the first number for each eye. This is the sphere part of the prescription. The statistics listed in this part and upcoming (Pt. 4), based on the sphere, give you an indication of the results to expect from wavefront-guided laser treatment by an experienced surgeon. Keep in mind that the patients in these statistics who did not achieve 20/20 vision without correction are usually still pleased with their results. They can do most things without eyeglasses or contact lenses, including driving a car. An when it is absolutely necessary for the to fine-tune their vision, they can still wear eyeglasses.
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% 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%, and if enhancements are included, it rise to above 99%.
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% of patients with moderate myopia achieve 20/40 vision or better. Of these, more than 90% achieve 20/20 vision or better. Including enhancement surgery, 100% of patients see 20/40 or better, and 99% see 20/20 or better.