If you wear glasses or contact lenses, you might be interested in surgery to correct your vision. Keep in mind, though, that as much as you might like to toss out your glasses or put an end to the daily ritual of inserting and removing your contact lenses, surgery to correct vision problems isn't for everyone.
Familiarize yourself with the procedures eye doctors use to correct vision problems and the risks and benefits of each. Then discuss your options with your doctor to help you decide whether refractive eye surgery is for you.
What is refractive eye surgery?
Refractive eye surgery is a surgical procedure to change the way your eye refracts light. As light rays enter your eye, your cornea and lens bend (refract) the rays to focus them on the back of your eye — your retina. If you have a refractive error, your eye is shaped in such a way that light rays aren't sharply focused on your retina.
During refractive surgery, your cornea is reshaped. Your cornea can be flattened or steepened based on your specific vision problems. Refractive surgery is usually considered an elective surgery — which means it isn't vital to your health and well-being. For this reason, Medicare and most insurance companies won't cover the cost of the surgery.
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Eye anatomy
Refractive eye surgery is a surgical procedure to change the way your eye refracts light. As light rays enter your eye, your cornea and lens bend (refract) the rays to focus them on the back of your eye — your retina. If you have a refractive error, your eye is shaped in such a way that light rays aren't sharply focused on your retina.
During refractive surgery, your cornea is reshaped. Your cornea can be flattened or steepened based on your specific vision problems. Refractive surgery is usually considered an elective surgery — which means it isn't vital to your health and well-being. For this reason, Medicare and most insurance companies won't cover the cost of the surgery.
Who can have refractive eye surgery?
Refractive eye surgery is for people with certain refractive errors in their vision, such as:
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Nearsightedness (myopia). Nearsightedness is the most common refractive error. It generally occurs when your eye is slightly larger than the average-size eye. It can also be caused by a cornea that is too curved. Nearsightedness causes light rays to focus in front of your retina, rather than right on it, causing blurry distant vision.
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Farsightedness (hyperopia). Farsightedness affects near vision. It generally occurs when your eye is slightly smaller than the average-size eye. It can also be caused by a cornea that's too flat. Farsightedness causes light rays to focus beyond the retina, rather than right on it, causing blurry vision.
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Astigmatism. Astigmatism makes it difficult to see objects at any distance. It's caused by a cornea that's uneven — curving and flattening in different spots on your eye.
