Evaluation of Vision Correction Alternatives for Myopic Adults

Prior to 1980, eyeglasses and contact lenses were the only widely available corrective treatments for myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness. In recent years, surgical procedures such as radial keratotomy (RK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) have become viable corrective alternatives for myopic adults. I developed a decision model that a myopic adult can use to periodically revisit his or her decision regarding vision correction, given the expected costs, benefits, and risks of the surgical and nonsurgical alternatives. I exercised this decision model using my own personal values, and found that although the expected outcomes of the surgeries are already preferable to the perpetual use of external corrective lenses, my best near-term decision was to delay surgery and give the surgeons a chance to further improve their success rates.