This is a very good question. Compared to patients with lower level of myopia, it is indeed true that high myopes are more likely to have regression after laser vision correction (LASIK, SMILE, PRK).
LASIK is known to have good predictable outcomes. However, studies had suggested that there is a higher incidence of regression amongst high myopes. One contributing factor may be that one’s cornea has to be thinned down much more when they have high myopia, and thus the residual cornea thickness is significantly lower than individuals who started with low or moderate myopia. This thinner residual corneal thickness may be more prone to regression.
But nowadays, one can have the option to include collagen cross-linking on top of their laser surgery. Collagen cross-linking aims to strengthen the cornea by activating the collagen fibres on the eye to cross-link, thereby strengthening the eye by 5 times post-surgery. This may have the potential to reduce the possibility of the cornea going back to its original shape/ regression.
Another type of refractive surgery to consider for high myopia will be Implantable Contact Lens. These lenses ware implanted into the eye and power of the lens is customised to suit individual visual requirements. They have the potential to correct up to -18.00 of myopia.
