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

Q: I am interested in custom lasik surgery and it appears I am a good candidate. My only concern is whether I should get IntraLasik surgery or Lasik with the microkeratome. Which would you recommend, keeping in mind that I would be more than willing to spend extra to get the IntraLasik. A: I use both, but personally prefer the microkeratome for most cases. Andrew Caster, MD www.castervision.com

Q: Can a person with lazy eye get lasik and if so, will it actually work? A: A person with lazy eye can get Lasik, if the eye isn't too lazy. This will not cure the "laziness", so the vision will not be corrected to 20/20. It will be corrected as well as the eye can be corrected with glasses or contacts. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q:  How do we know if we have a good doctor? My husband is going to see Dr. Flowers and we don't know how to check that he is a good doctor. Thanks, Leslie A: It is difficult to determine who is a great doctor and who is not. I would recommend looking at their background and credentials, and doing as much research on the internet as you feel appropriate. What kind of honors have they received? Do they have a lot of lawsuits or other problems that you can discover on the internet? Andrew Caster, MD www.castervision.com

Q: With PRK surgery the eye is reshaped to see correctly at 20/20. Does this mean the eye is as it was when I saw 20/20 normally before I needed glasses? Does it shape it to be the correct shape. The same way it was before I ever needed glasses? Thank you. A:  After PRK or Lasik, the cornea is reshaped to match the rest of the eye, in order to obtain the best vision possible. Because your eye has changed in many subtle ways since you saw 20/20 as a child, the corneal shape will not be identical. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: I have herpes in my eyes. Is it possible to get the surgery if I don't get breakouts often? A: Lasik or PRK may exacerbate herpes outbreaks. So you should not have the surgery unless the outbreaks have been rare and have not occurred for some time. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: My left eye corrects pretty well with glasses. My right is pretty well a lazy eye, but I try to use both when my glasses are off. (i'm far sighted about +5.75 in left, 'good' eye). But one of the problems with my right eye I don't understand is that even if I can read the letters or words, sometimes it's hard to follow the sentence, like it's hard to see all the letters or words one after the other or it gets a bit mixed up. Part of it seems to be when I cover my left eye, the image of my left, seeing the inside of my eyelid is still so strong in my mind, it outweighs the image of what I'm reading with my right. Why is this and can it be fixed with LASIK? A: With lazy eye, also known as amblyopia, the patient will often have trouble putting multiple letters together, just as you describe. Lasik will not correct this. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: I am looking into two surgeons in Boise. The equipment available is the Visx system or the new Bausch & Lomb Zyoptix (Dr. Hollingshead). I did not see anything on the web about the Zyoptix. They claim that the laser provides the widest possible treatment area of 9 mm. Also it is not a broad beam but a pulsating light that is suppose to provide smoother precision. Have you heard about this equipment and does it stand up to the claims noted above? I have very large dialated pupils 6.5 mm and 7. mm. I appreciate your help. Thanks, Marissa A: It is very difficult to evaluate the merits of the different equipment types. Each has advantages and disadvantages. My personal favorite at this time is the Alcon, followed by the Visx. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: Wondering the best way to go about finding a good doctor for lasik, is there any kind of independant rating system one can look at. What things should I look for. Thanks A: The only independent rating system that I am aware of is the Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance (USAeyes.org). Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com

Q: Hi. My department has very old computer monitors, 8 years old at least. I am convinced my monitor is contributing to blurred vision. Do you have any studies or references I could use to convince my boss to buy us new and improved monitors? Any assistance would be appreciated. Thanks A: Looking at an old monitor can certainly cause eye strain. It does not cause permanently blurry vision, however. Andrew Caster, MD www.CasterVision.com