30M, -11.5D/-10D, thin corneas + treated lattices — flapless partial correction advice?
Looking for honest advice on refractive surgery options. Been researching this for years and could use real perspectives.
**My situation:**
- 30M, wearing glasses since age 7
- Right eye: -11.50/-0.75 x 180°
- Left eye: -10.00/-0.50 x 170°
- BCVA: 6/12-6/18 (won't improve — amblyopia + mild myopic maculopathy)
**Key parameters:**
- CCT: 513μm right, 520μm left (thin)
- ART max: 342 right, 323 left (borderline)
- Axial length: 26.19/26.21mm
- AD (aqueous depth): 2.47-2.49mm (too shallow for ICL)
- Multiple peripheral lattices — treated with barrage laser in 2021, stable since
- Mild dry eye
**Previous consultations I've had:**
- Hospital 1 (2021): Recommended RLE (refractive lens exchange) with monofocal IOL — declared me "unfit for LASIK"
- Hospital 2 (2021): Offered TWO options — LASIK with partial/undercorrection OR RLE
- Hospital 3 (2023 follow-up): No surgery recommended — just glasses + dry eye drops
Getting 3 different recommendations across hospitals has made this decision confusing. The partial LASIK suggestion has stuck with me the most.
**My goal:**
I'm NOT chasing 6/6 vision or eagle eye. I know that's impossible for me. My goal is simple:
- See people's faces at conversational distance without glasses
- Wear thinner, lighter glasses for distance/work
- Improve daily lifestyle a bit — that's it
I'm 100% okay with wearing glasses long-term. Just want them thinner and want some basic uncorrected function.
**What I'm considering now:**
Flapless partial correction, targeting only 4-5 D reduction, leaving residual around -6.50/-5.00 D that I'll wear thin glasses for.
**Options I'm weighing:**
TransPRK/SmartSurfACE — best biomechanical safety, longest recovery (2-3 weeks)
SILK — newest lenticule extraction, fast recovery (1-2 days)
SMILE Pro — proven flapless, moderate recovery (3-5 days)
RLE — was recommended twice, but I've been hesitant due to age (30) + lattice history + accommodation loss + insurance non-coverage
No surgery — accept current glasses, wait for natural cataract eventually
ICL ruled out by shallow AD. LASIK ruled out by thin cornea + borderline ART max.
**Questions:**
Anyone with borderline ART max and thin corneas who got flapless surgery — how are you doing years later?
For my case (thin corneas + high myopia + no need for perfect vision), is TransPRK's better biomechanical safety worth the longer recovery vs SILK/SMILE Pro?
Anyone who chose partial correction (4-5 D) with residual glasses — did it meet your daily-life goals?
Anyone who was recommended RLE at similar age with high myopia and lattice history — did you go through with it? Any regrets or good experiences years later? Torn between rejecting it as too aggressive vs the fact that 2 doctors recommended it.
Anyone who chose no surgery and accepted thick glasses — do you regret it? Or was it fine?
Am I being reasonable with this conservative flapless partial correction approach, or overthinking?
Not looking for 20/20. Just want thinner glasses and to see faces without them. Appreciate any honest input from people who've been through similar decisions.
Thanks.