Types of Corrective Eye Surgery for Refractive Errors
Refractive errors are vision problems that occur when the shape of the prevents light from accurately focusing on the retina. The most common types of refractive error are nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Due to technological, medical advancements, various types of corrective eye surgery exist to help eliminate and restore vision.
This short guide is going to break down the types of refractive errors that exist and what corrective eye surgery options you have available so that you can see clearly and enjoy your life to the fullest.
What is a Refractive Error?
Having good vision depends on the ability of your cornea and lens to manipulate the light rays that fall onto your retina. These light rays need to bend or refract, to focus on the retina properly. The retina then sends information through the optic nerve to the brain so that it processes as an image.
Put simply; refractive errors occur because your brain is not accurately interpreting the right signal. Typically, this happens when either your cornea, the transparent protective outer layer of the eye, or the eyeball isn’t shaped the right way. Frustratingly, these problems can occur even if your eyes are otherwise healthy.
The most common symptom to refraction errors is blurred vision. Other symptoms that may emerge include double vision, haziness, glares, halos, headaches or eye strain.
Types of Corrective Eye Surgery
Modern surgery procedures continue to rise, bringing about new ways to treat refractive errors. Each condition requires slightly different treatment, but the most popular laser eye surgeries include LASIK, PRK surgery, and KAMRA Inlay.
LASIK
At the top of the list is LASIK. It is the most popular refractive surgery performed in the US due to its success rates. It is ideal for patients who are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism.
LASIK works by reshaping the cornea flap so that your eye can focus on objects more clearly. As a result, images in front of your retina are pushed directly into the optic nerve so you can see better.
PRK Surgery
PRK surgery is a type of laser eye procedure which came before the popular LASIK procedure. It works best for patients who have nearsighted, farsighted or astigmatism issues. The surgery involves the use of a cool pulsing ultraviolet light to reshape the cornea. Although it is a highly accurate surgery, the recovery process is lengthy.
KAMRA Inlay
KAMRA Inlay is a surgical procedure that inserts a mini-ring into the cornea. The mini-ring contains a pinhole in the center that allows it to focus light coming into the eye. It is an ideal procedure for people who suffer from presbyopia or are tired of heavily depending on their reading glasses.
Solving Vision Problems Quickly and Permanently
At the end of the day, no matter what type of corrective surgery is the right choice for you, you can rest assured that you will have a long-term solution to your vision problems. The best thing is that the requirements for LASIK and other procedures are straightforward, the surgery typically only takes minutes and recovery times are quick while you experience minimum discomfort. So what are you waiting for? Contact one of our specialists to see how you can get rid of those annoying glasses and get the clear vision you have always wanted.
