Q: Hi my name is Cliff. I am 17 years old and I have been having eye floaters and "flashes" (looks like moving glitter) since 12. My question is whether the flashes that I see can lead to a posterior retinal detachment and if it can cause permanent blindness. If so, do you know what percent? Hope hearing from you as soon as possible. Thanks A: This may be a sign of a posterior vitreous detachment, which is very diffeent than a retinal detachment. In around 1 of cases, it may lead to a retinal hole or detachment, so it is a good idea to have an eye doctor examine you. Andrew Caster, MD www.castervision.com

Q: I am 48 and considering lasik. I was told by a doctor that I would be a good candidate but right afterwords I would then need reading glasses. My neice who is an assistant in a lasik center said that I could get lasik done on both eyes then wear reading glasses for about a year, then get correction for reading and be 100. My opticion said the only thing that she could be talking about is monovision and if that is what I want I should just get one eye done in the first place. What is your opinion? Chris A: Monovision is the only way for someone over 45 - 50 to have both distance and near vision. I would get monovision the first time, rather than in a two step process. Of course, some people do not want or like monovision, so you must test it first with glasses or contacts. Andrew Caster, MD www.castervision.com

Q: If you can do corrective eye surgery, can you put in a permanent color lense. A: We cannot change the eye color. Andrew Caster, MD www.castervision.com

Q: I have this eye problem where I have began to develop brown pigments in the white of my eye. They have continued to grow over time and I have not been able to find a diagnosis for this type of problem online. Do you have any suggestions on what it might be caused by and what the cures may be to get rid of it? If I can have your email I can attach a picture of it so you can see it to further analyze it. Thanks A: It would be best for you to see an eye doctor in person. Andrew Caster, MD www.catervision.com

Q: I am a 23 years old male. I have -17 no. of my right eye sight and plano for the left. Two years back it was -13. Now my question is that is there any treatment available to correct the eye sight? Any possible lasik operation ? A: Lasik is not an option, but the Implantable Contact Lens, also known as Phakic Intra-ocular Implant, is a distinct possibility. You want to wait until the eye has stopped changing, if possible. Andrew Caster, MD www.castervisin.com

Q: I recently went to a Lasik consultation, and the doctor only required that I stop wearing soft contact lenses for only three days. Other doctors have told me that I don't have to stop wearing my contacts at all. However, when I did some research, all articles are telling me to stop wearing contacts for at two weeks before the consultation. What is the right answer? And how many days do your corneas need to heal without contacts. Thank you very much. A: Before you have your final measurements, you need to be out of the contacts for an appropriate amount of time in order to obtain the most proper measurements. The exact amount of time is debated. I like to leave normal daily wear soft lenses out for ten days, with extended wear or toric out for two weeks. Andrew Caster, MD www.castervision.com

Q: Can mental and emotional stress, anxiety and too much crying cause complications after the lasik. complications like blurry vision and nearsightedness after the surgery. A: Mental stress can affect the body in a myriad of ways, and can affect the healing pattern. Andrew Caster, MD www.castervision.com

Q: I have a lump in the corner of my eye which is colored white at the tip. I had them in both eyes but the one in the left eye has disappeared. Can you tell me what could be causing this and how I would go about ridding myself of it. I am 43 years of age. Thank You. A: You will have to see an eye doctor to determine what it is. Andrew Caster, MD www.castervision.com

Q: I've been hearing about ACC. Can you explain what this is and if it's better than the other forms of LASIK? I got a little freaked out about the flap at my LASIK consultation. About how much should LASIK cost? I saw 2 doctors and the quotes were $2,500 and $5,995. I'm not sure if one is too low or if the other is too high. A: ACC is not Lasik; it is the same as PRK, which is Lasik without a flap. Although both Lasik and PRK use the same laser and achieve the same long term results, the negative aspect to PRK (ACC) is that there is a much slower healing pattern. If you are uncomfortable with the concept of making a flap, then you should have PRK, which will achieve the same results. You will, however, have blurry vision for one or more weeks, and will also have a greater degree of post-op discomfort. Andrew Caster, MD www.castervision.com

Q: I am a 50 year old woman in good general health. My left eye uncorrected is 20/100 with astigmatism and it is also amblyopic. I was wearing glasses at a young age, I believe before school age. My corrected vision in that eye is 20/30 and my right eye is 20/20. I am considering lasik for the left eye and am concerned whether this is a good move on my part or not. I would like to know the best case scenario and the worst case scenario of having this procedure done. Thank you for your time and response. A: With vision correctable to 20/30 in your amblyopic eye, most doctors would feel comfortable recommending lasik to you. Although lasik is extremely safe in terms of major vision-treatening complications, it is best to evaluate what a person's life would be like if they had a horrible complication in their good eye. For this reason, I will not perform lasik on a person with only one functioning eye. With vision correctable to 20/30, life would still be tolerable if, theoretically, that were to be your only eye. Severely compromised vision is exceedingly rare after lasik, but this is the thought process that I bring to this issue. Andrew Caster, MD www.castervision.com