Q:  Hello Dr, Caster, I am a 50 yr old female, white, non smoker, active with large pupils. My distance prescription is OD -1.00 OS -1.25 (reading +2.00add). I can get by without glasses but things are much sharper with them. I am thinking about the Custom View Wavefront procedure to correct distance. I am concerned about the halos and stars at night that I hear about. I would hate to be left with double vision, gritty feeling eyes etc. Do you think I am a good prospect for this surgery? Are there any additional questions I should ask? I am in Charlotte NC and am considering Dr. Tate at The Laser Center or Dr. Christenbury at Christ. Eye Center. Have you heard of either of them? Thanking you in advance for your response. Sydney A: Most people have glare/halos even without the surgery, so our concern is in not increasing the glare/halos. With a lower correction such as you have, and with the custom wavefront treatment, the odds of significantly increasing your glare/halos is very low. In fact, the odds of decreasing your existing glare/halos are higher than the odds of increasing your existing glare/halos. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: I am turning 50 this year. I am nearsighted and have been wearing glasses for thirty years. I no longer wear contact lenses because they irritate my eyes and because I needed reading glasses to read when I wore them. I generally just read now with my glasses off. Am I a candidate for custom view lasik? Assuming good results, how long can I expect the results to last? A: Since you are 50, you have presbyopia, the condition of "middle aged eyes" in which you have trouble seeing up close when your eyes are adjusted for distance. So if you have Lasik, you will need to use "cheater" glasses for up-close work, such as reading, or you will need to get monovision. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: I have a high degree of astigmatism and must wear rigid contacts. I was unable to get a clear answer on this website, my question is, is there a surgical procedure to correct severe astigmatism now or in the near future? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you for you time. A: Laser vision correction -- Lasik or PRK -- works for most high degrees of astigmatism. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: Dear Dr. Caster, I had LASIK on 1/20/06. After two days of absolutely amazing vision, I developed double-vision in my left eye. When I asked my LASIK doctor about it, he told me he'd never encountered that problem before and even implied that I was making it up. He said my corneal flap was healing perfectly and that, whatever the problem was, he was certain this would go away. What else could possibly cause this problem if the corneal flap is healing "perfectly"? My opthamologist says this double-vision is normal. I'm confused and scared. If you were me, what would you do? Thank you, Maria A: I would recommend that you get a second opinion in person from a Lasik specialist. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: Does having LASIK mean you will have a detached retina? A: No, detached retina is a serious problem in which the retina, which is the "film" in the back of the eye that measures the light, is no longer attached to the back of the eye. It requires immediate surgery. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: After the lasik surgery, how many years will you be able to see without glasses A: For most people, the results are permanent. A small number, we estimate around 5%, will have changes in their distance vision over time and will require a touch-up at some point in the future. And of course, unless you get monovision, you will need reading glass "cheaters" when you get over 45-50. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: :Hi, I'm 25 years old and considering a lasik treatment for my eyes I have farsightedness and astigmatism. I'm not quite sure how high, but my glasses prescription is : for left eyes sphere -13.00 cylinder -2.00 axis 180 for right eyes sphere -7.00 cylinder - 150 axis 180 As you see my left eye is much more worse than my right eye. My doctor once recommend me to do lasik. Do you think I'm a good candidate, and how much is the percentage that I won't need any glasses or contacts after the surgery? But I'm very pleased already if there's a chance that lasik can reduce my prescription. Thank you for your time. A: You are nearsighted and have astigmatism. The left eye is beyond the range that is typically treated, so you might get a partial but not complete correction. The left eye is within the range that we typically treat, but other factors must be appropriate. You should consider the phakic implant for the left eye. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: Dr. Caster, I am a Bomb Disposal Technician for the Marine Corps. What are the benefits/drawbacks for lasik and PRK pertaining to blast overpressure from a detonation. In addition, if a piece of debris hits me in the eye, is there any complications due to the surgeries mentioned above. A: In the event of a blast injury or large piece of debris, PRK would be the safer procedure. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: What treatment is recommended for post operative (cataract) for emergence of Fuch corneal endothelial dystrophy, thanks from Australia John B. aged 67. A: In the beginning, if there are symptoms, (dehydrating and possibly pressure lowering) drops are used. If that is not adequate, surgery is often the only option. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: My right eye has the corneal thickness in the center of 522um. The thinest location is 517um. There is one spot near the "circle" (on the orbscan) with the elevation of +15um. What are the possible risk factors here? My doctor told me on the day of the opeartion that he has to double check again because of this +15um spot. The next day, he told me I'm safe to perform custom LASIK. I'm a little worried now after that fact. I have color copies of my right and left eyes's orbscan. It would be great if I can send those images to you so you can answer my question better. Thank you in advance. -Tommy A: I cannot provide an opinion on for this type of question on this forum. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com