LASIK and Astigmatism

    What is Astigmatism?

/24-7PressRelease/ - July 12, 2007 - In a perfect eye, the cornea is round, so that light rays coming from, for example, your front door, all land in the same place on the retina. That gives you a clear image of your front door. The light rays are bent first by the cornea and then by the lens, in a uniform way that brings them all to one focal point.

Dual Curvature

Astigmatism is the result of irregular or dual curvature or both. Dual curvature can be in the cornea, in the lens, or both. Dual curvature occurs with an oval shape (cornea or lens). The longer side has a more shallow curvature and the shorter side has a steeper curvature. Light rays entering the eye from your front door are then bent so as to focus both in front of the retina and behind it. Or perhaps the light rays may focus in front of the retina in two different places, or behind it in two different places. In all cases, you see a blurry door and wonder if you're at the wrong house.

Irregular Curvature

There can also be tiny bumps on the corneal surface, or indentations on it. These bend light rays in combinations of ways unique to each human eye. They can be precisely picked out by the laser and made smooth. Almost everyone has a small degree of astigmatism. Astigmatism may also be accompanied by myopia or hyperopia. When your astigmatism gives you blurry vision even with glasses or contact lenses, LASIK surgery may help.

Some people have their astigmatism corrected during routine cataract surgery:

· Astigmatic keratectomy or Limbal Relaxing Incisions - a corneal procedure where small, arch-shaped incisions are placed at the periphery of the cornea to substantially reduce or eliminate astigmatism. It's a quick, painless procedure which has a very brief recovery process.
· LASIK - Laser reshaping is sometimes needed in addition to Astigmatic Keratotomy when higher levels of astigmatism exist or to more subtly correct - fine tune -- the rest of their astigmatism.

Symptoms of astigmatism include:

· Blurred vision
· Distorted vision
· Double vision
· Eye strain
· Headaches

So why don't more people get their astigmatism treated with LASIK? Many people think that since their vision keeps changing because of their astigmatism, they can't have LASIK. But everyone's vision changes a little throughout his or her lifetime. As long as you have relative stability in your vision, you could be a candidate for LASIK.

It is a common myth that people with astigmatism can't have LASIK. They can! And continued advances in LASIK technology will increasingly help people with astigmatism see clearly.

For more information or to arrange an appointment with a LASIK surgeon, click here.

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