Q: I had traditional lasik on Feb. 22 2005, which was about a week ago. my vision seems to be very good close and at a distance but there seems to be a haze or cloudiness. And I dont seem to see well in poor lit areas. Will this go away or get any better?? A: This should get better in a few weeks or months. Andrew Caster, MD

Q: Doctor- while not asking for an endorsement- I smoke pot occasionally( 33/m) and am having laser vision correction done sat 3/5/05- could this affect the outcome- after the procedure- how long should one wait- these are embarrasing questions to ask, but I do not want to compromise my vision- thank you for your response A: I would abstain for 1 week before and after. Andrew Caster, MD

Q: I had Lasek surgery 6 weeks ago, is it ok to use a sunbed, taking the normal precautions? A: Yes. Andrew Caster, MD

Q: Hello, I went to 2 surgeons and they realized that I have a thin corneal (450) and therefore they would rather have a TRK procedure instead of the lasik. My question is to try to decide which one to go for provided that surgeon one is using the VISX Star S4 & WaveScan WaveFront System (laser plus wavefront device to guide laser) and would do a regular treatment for $3500, both eyes at the same time, when surgeon two is using the Alcon Autonomous LADARVision is would do a custom treatment for $5000, one eye after the other. I would be ok spending $1500 more if the laser being used and the custom treatment are really worth it since... well, I only have one pair of eyes! But both surgeons are telling me that their laser is the best, so I am lost. I am supposed to get them an answer in the next 24 hours, so if you could help me out, I would truly appreciate it! Marc A: There should be no hurry in making your decision, and I would first eliminate any center that tried to pressure you-- they are not interested in your best interests. There is disagreement as to which is better. I suggest that you research a little more. Andrew Caster, MD

Q: I am currently wearing contacts every day and considering the LASIK surgery. How long would i have to stop wearing contacts for before i could have the surgery A: There are differences in opinion on this point. I recommend 10 days out for soft lenses and at least 6 weeks for gas permeable. Andrew Caster, MD

Q: Dr Caster, I am after a relatively unbiased answer to the outcome of Intralase and Customised Laser surgery versus just customised laser surgery. I am in Australia and the cost difference is alot. Glenn Lawson A: Personally, I do not believe that there is any difference. Andrew Caster, MD

Q: I wanted to know if having Lasik or PRK done at the age of 22 would have any effect on corrective options for farsightedness as I reach 40+ years old. A: If you can read clearly up close now WITHOUT your glasses, you will be able to that for the rest of your life if you don't have surgery. If you have surgery, then it is like wearing the glasses all the time, and you can't take them off. Thus you will need to put on readers in your late 40s, unless we develop a cure for that problem. Andrew Caster, MD

Q: I had LASIK performed on both eyes on 1 Mar 05. The right eye went fine (procedure was almost stopped, I had some pain when the speculum was inserted, but after 3rd attempt was fine once it was in place). Left eye had a major problem. The surgeon tells me that I moved my eye (I don't remember moving it, and sure didn't do it on purpose!) as the microkeratome made the incision, resulting in the flap being cut through the center of the cornea up through the upper edge of the cornea, completely removing the flap. The surgeon recovered the flap and replaced it on the eye and applied a contact lens to hold everything in place. He tells me that I will now have a scar across the center of the visual axis and they may be able to go back after at least 3 months and do PRK or LASIK with a deeper flap. As it stands right now. my vision is about 20/40 right eye, corrctable to 20/20 and may improve once the swelling of the cornea goes down. My left eye however is much worse than when I started, about 20/400 corrected to 20/40. Wearing glasses I can function, but with extreme dificulty. I have several questions: 1. How common is this? 2. What are my odds of anything resembling normal vision if I attempt PRK in a few months? (LASIK is not even a consideration, no more blades for me!) 3. Was this my fault, or was there something the surgeon did wrong? Equipment failure? Thanks Gary A: Unfortunately, this does occur, although very rarely. Typically, the vision returns to an excellent level after a few months. Repeat treatments are very successful. Andrew Caster, MD

Q: My vision is 12 diopters in one eye and 13 in the other. I was wondering if I could get Lasik to improve my vision. I do not expect to complete improve all 12 diopters, but just want to reduce the great amount of myopia. Can I do lasik? What's the highest degree of myopia that you can perform lasik and does it make it more risky? Also, is this a one -time only operation. Say, a candidate has it and then comes back in 2 years, can they get correction for the remaning myopia? A: Usually, 10-12 diopters is the maximum, but it depends on other factors that can only be determined by a doctor. The new intraocular lenses are also an option. Andrew Caster, MD

Q: Why is LASIK surgery so controversial? What are the negative outcomes of it? The information you provide will be used in a collage research paper! Your credentials will also be requested. Thank You A: There is extensive information on my website, www.castervision.com. Andrew Caster, MD