What is refractive surgery?
Refractive surgery includes several surgical procedures designed to eliminate or reduce the need for glasses or contact lenses. These procedures correct refractive errors by changing the focus of the eye. Common procedures such as LASIK and PRK do this by reshaping the curve of the cornea (the clear front window of the eye) to move the point at which light is focused onto the retina (light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye). Procedures such as conductive keratoplasty (CK) use radio frequency energy to bend the cornea, and phakic intraocular lenses (IOLs) place an artificial lens inside the eye to more accurately focus light onto the retina. The History of Refractive Surgery Ophthalmic surgeons have been performing refractive surgery for the treatment of myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (irregular shaped cornea) for approximately 100 years, but the past decades have produced rapid change and growth by means of refined techniques and the eme
During refractive surgery, the cornea is gently reshaped to better focus light rays on the retina. Depending upon the results of your full ophthalmic evaluation, your Krieger ophthalmologist will recommend the refractive surgery procedure that meets your specific needs. Refractive surgery is quickly gaining popularity due to the fact that it is an outpatient procedure which offers minimal time in surgery, fast and comfortable recovery times, as well as a diminished dependence on glasses or contacts. Millions of Americans are affected by conditions that fall under a category called “refractive errors.” Most commonly, these include myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopla (farsightedness), astigmatism, as well as combinations of astigmatism and either myopia or hyperopla. Laser Assisted Intrastromal Keratomileusis (LASIK) During LASIK , a more recent procedure to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, the ophthalmologist utilizes a precise surgical instrument called an autom
