I'm so glad I found this website, I have so many questions regarding whether to have ICL surgery or continue wearing my toric soft lens and glasses. I have both myopia and astigmatism: -1.75/-5.50 & -2.25/-5.50, I'm age 33/f, have a "lazy" left eye and have worn permanent soft toric contact lens for 15 years now. Everytime I have a new pair of lens made I have so much trouble getting the size, thickness (which is usually very thick!) and prescription right. And it seems my eyes can only accept lens made by "Igel" material. As I get older, the hours wearing my contact lens shortens as my eyes becomes more dryer and I'm worried that one day I will eventually not be able to wear my contact lenses at all! I hate wearing my glasses when going out since I feel imbalance (even somewhat dizzy) and it always falls down my nose (I have a very small nose!). I've looked at all my RS options and between lasik and ICL, my surgeon recommended ICL for "better quality of life", I know there are risks involved such as cataract (is it still 10%?) etc. so I like to hear of other's opinion on this. I keep reading "wait and see" on this BB regarding ICL so wondered if there's been anymore development since, especially on cataract related to ICL.

I also want to know if I continue to wear my soft toric contact lenses (I've tried wearing Gas Permanables before for 6 months but couldn't get use to it) what would eventually happen to my eyes, I remember my optometrist saying I should not wear it for long periods since it restricts oxygen in. Are there any other lenses I can consider that is better for me?

I'm really just exploring all possible options so any advice is greatly appreciated!

To my knowledge there is no ICL that will correct the astigmatism and your myopia is certainly not so high as to indicate ICLs.

You mentioned having a lazy eye. The concern for all refractive surgery is quality of vision. There is always a risk of reduced quality of vision with RS, moreso when high levels of refractive error are treated (as in your astigmatism). Quality of life declines when quality of vision declines and there is no guarantee on your outcome.

Your toric soft lenses ARE difficult to get to work well because you have such a severe degree of astigmatism. Just as that high astigmatism makes it difficult to get a contact lens, it represents similar difficulties with RS.

You said you tried wearing gas permeables. Were they "bitoric" RGPs? If not, you didn't stand a chance of success. Most of your astigmatism is corneal, so a bitoric is indicated. I would recommend finding a practitioner adept at fitting bitoric lenses and see what he/she can do for you. Don't let your initial experience influence your thinking on this.

You have a challenging prescription for spectacles, CLs and RS. The first two can be changed. The latter cannot.