Astigmatism LASIK Surgery
It is a common misconception that LASIK is not suitable for astigmatism. In fact, surgeons have been able to correct this condition for nearly 20 years.
Astigmatism is a condition where the cornea (the clear window at the front of the eye) is not completely round but shaped more like a rugby ball. This creates distortion in the vision at all distances.
Astigmatism can be found by itself, or more commonly together with short-sight (myopia) or long-sight (hyperopia). When it is combined with these other refractive errors, it will increase the blur and distortion that the patient experiences.
Astigmatic surgery will create a rounder cornea, so eliminating the split focus and visual imperfections. The patient’s prescription, including any refractive errors, is entered into the laser where the computer will calculate the required number of spots and the location where the spots must be placed (several thousand of them, typically) in order to eliminate the astigmatism.
You will want to choose a surgeon who is skilled and experienced in astigmatic LASIK, because surgical technique is very important in these cases. The refractive error must be accurately measured by the surgeon and the treatment performed so that the correction is correctly aligned on the eye.
The success rate of the LASIK technique for refractive errors has removed the need for older incision surgical techniques that were used in the 1980s and 1990s to relax the corneal curvature.
The WaveLight excimer system used at Focus can correct up to 6 dioptres of a refractive error in a single treatment.
How much does astigmatism correction cost?
Refractive errors are often just a part of an eye condition – usually short- or long-sight. We treat short-sighted, long-sighted and presbyopic patients and offer a range of easy to understand prices. Please see here for more information on prices and finance options.