Successful refractive surgery can improve or cure common vision problems such as short sightedness, long sightedness, and astigmatism. These vision problems are called refractive errors and the most frequent way to have clearer vision is by wearing prescription glasses or contact lenses.

Short sightedness or nearsightedness a refractive error wherein the light entering the eye is not focused properly making distant objects appear blurred while close objects can be seen clearly. Short sightedness is medically termed myopia and occurs when the eyeball is too long or if the cornea, which is the clear front cover of the eye, has too much curvature.

People who are long sighted or who have hyperopia can view distant objects clearly but cannot focus objects that are up close. The condition occurs because of an eyeball that is too short or a cornea that has too little curvature. Thus, the light that enters the eye is not focused properly causing the blurred vision.

Astigmatism, on the other hand, is due to an irregularly shaped cornea preventing light from being focused correctly on the retina. In this condition, vision becomes blurred at any distance because the eye does not have one point of focus. Depending on the severity, it can go unnoticed or can alter vision considerably. Astigmatism most often occurs along with myopia or hyperopia.

Presbyopia, which is Greek for ‘old eye’, occurs as a natural part of the ageing process. With age, the eye lens progressively loses its flexibility. In the normal eye, the lens adjusts its curvature to be able to focus near or far objects. In people with presbyopia, the lens loses some it its elasticity, thus the difficulty in switching focus between near and distant objects. This is a fairly common condition, usually becoming more noticeable by the age of 45. Most often, presbyopia presents as inability to focus on near objects such as when doing needlework or reading fine print. This condition cannot be prevented because it is part of ageing.

In all of the above refractive errors, glasses or contacts are prescribed to improve vision. These corrective lenses are cut to a specific curve, depending on the prescription, to focus light where it is needed on the retina. To have clear vision, these should be worn all the time.

Glasses are most commonly used to correct refractive errors. They are very popular because they are inexpensive, easy to maintain, and can easily be obtained. Some disadvantages include restriction of peripheral vision, interference with sports and recreational activities, and aesthetic appearance.

To address cosmetic issues associated with wearing eyeglasses, contact lenses have become a popular alternative. These allow more freedom to move about and enjoy active sports. However, these require meticulous cleaning to prevent possible eye infections. Some eyes are too sensitive or dry that they cannot tolerate foreign objects such as contact lenses. Also, not all degrees of refractive problems can be corrected with contacts.

Eye surgery can improve these refractive errors permanently. Methods of surgical correction include remodelling of the shape of the cornea to focus light on the retina or implantation of an artificial lens in place of the natural crystalline lens.

The most common method used to reshape the curvature of the cornea is by using excimer lasers. These modern lasers are designed for use in laser eye surgery. The excimer laser produces a cool light beam, making it perfect for eye surgery because it does away with the possibility of thermal damage. Because of their tremendous amount of precision, lasers are unmatched in terms of safety and control when treating refractive errors.

Another common type of surgical correction is lens replacement surgery. This makes use of synthetic lenses to replace the natural lens of the eye. This is especially suitable for patients who have high degrees of short sightedness or long sightedness, as well as older patients who are at risk of developing cataracts.

Although eye surgery is one of the safest types of operation, there are possible complications that can come with it. Patients with diabetes, for example, are at risk for diabetic retinopathy. This is a condition that can cause changes in the blood vessels of the retina. Swelling of the blood vessels can cause blindness. Since suction is applied to the eye during laser eye surgery, this can increase the intraocular pressure or fluid pressure in the eye, which in turn can cause further risk for diabetic patients.

As an alternative to laser eye surgery, refractive surgery is ideal. Almost anyone over the age of 18 can have refractive surgery. The eye doctor will do a comprehensive physical and eye examination and will discuss the viability of the procedure for each patient to determine which type of surgery is most suitable.