Basics of Vision Correction Surgery

Vision correction surgery can permanently correct common refractive errors such as nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism, as well as provide you freedom from prescription glasses and contact lenses. Vision correction surgery is also used to treat age-related disorders such as cataracts and presbyopia. There are a number of vision correction surgeries available. The one most suited to meet your needs is best determined by your ophthalmologist.

Types of Vision Correction Surgery

The most common forms of vision correction surgery are:

LASIK – Your cornea is reshaped with an excimer laser to better allow light to focus on your retina. There are several types of LASIK, including bladeless LASIK and custom LASIK, and all have been found effective in treating nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia
PRK – like LASIK, PRK reshapes your cornea to provide clear vision. Unlike LASIK, PRK is performed by removing the surface cells of the cornea with chemicals, which will grow back on their own. PRK may be a better alternative for people who are not ideal candidates for LASIK if they have thin corneas or large pupils. PRK is effective in treating nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism
Conductive keratoplasty (CK) – Radio frequency is used to shrink your corneal tissue. CK is effective in treating farsightedness and presbyopia
Intraocular lens exchange (IOL) – IOLs are artificial lenses that replace the natural lens of your eye. IOLs are the only treatment for cataracts. Depending on the type of IOL used, they may also be effective in treating the entire range of refractive errors.

Surgeries for things such as macular degeneration and macular holes can also improve your vision, but are not typically considered vision correction surgeries.

If you are interested in learning more about how vision correction surgery can provide you freedom from glasses, please find an experienced ophthalmologist in your area to schedule an initial consultation today.