I think in a case like this, where the measurements are very different when measured in 2 different settings – the question is: which one is the accurate one?
There are different ways of checking the eye pressure. One common way is using an ‘air puff’ machine:
Another way is a ‘Goldmann tonometer’:
There are still other ways, but suffice to say some methods are more accurate than others.
When using the airpuff, it is quite common to get a reading that is ‘too high’-higher than what the real pressure is. This can happen when someone has long eyelashes that point downwards, for example, and block the airpuff blown by the machine. The machine has to ‘blow harder’ to achieve a result, and it reads a higher eye pressure than the real pressure.
The best way (and most accurate way) is still considered the Goldmann tonometer currently.
In your case, I would get the eye pressure re-measured with a Goldmann tonometer, and
- if that reads something like 18, then I would say that is your real eye pressure, and that you would be OK for LASIK. On the other hand,
- if a Goldmann tonometer measures your eye pressure at 26, then you should have other tests done such as visual fields and OCT to check on the health of your optic nerve. A high eye pressure of eg 26 has other implications besides affecting your suitability for LASIK, and needs to be investigated further.
I hope this helps!
