Refractive Surgery – What Is It?

 
Refractive surgery is used to correct a refractive defect in your eye. If you look up refractive in a dictionary you will find it means the turning or bending of a wave such as a light or sound wave when it passes from one medium to another of different optical density. So in the case of an eye we are talking about light waves and how the refractive surgery can alter the way that a light wave travel in or eye to improve our vision. So ultimately when having refractive surgery you are hoping to lessen your dependence on corrective lenses such as contact lenses or glasses.
 

Refractive Surgery – What It Corrects

 
I’m sure that all of us have heard of being near sighted or far sighted. These terms are pretty much self defining, meaning that near sighted people see things are near clearly and farsighted people see things at a distance clearly. The more medical term for near sighted is myopia. Myopia is a condition which occurs when your eyeball is too long which affects how your eye is able to focus. Myopia can also happen when an individual has excessive curvature in the cornea which creating a steep surface.
 

 
Being farsighted is also known as hyperopia. Just as with myopia where your eyeball is too long, with hyperopia your eyeball is the opposite or too short, which again affects how your eye focuses.. Also as myopia another cause of hyperopia can be that your cornea has less curvature causing images to appear incorrectly on your retina. With hyperopia people will experience close objects to appear blurry but be able to focus clearly on distant objects . Another refractive condition is astigmatism. With astigmatism the cornea’s surface is an oval shape instead of spherical. Astigmatism also affects your ability to focus correctly.
 
Another eye condition that can be resolved with refractive surgery is presbyopia. This condition generally occurs at middle age in the range of 45 to 50 years old that makes it harder for them to read. With this condition your eyes lens becomes stiff which makes it harder to change shape.
 

Refractive Surgery Limitations

 
There are some limitations in order to qualify for refractive surgery. First you must have a treatable eye condition and be a minimum of 18 years old. You must have experienced stable vision before having refractive surgery and your eyes must be healthy meaning that they don’t have corneal scars, a retinal detachment, and any other diseases that affect the eyes.  If you have glaucoma or diabetes, you also are not a good candidate for this surgery.
 
Refractive surgery is considered elective, meaning its not considered essential for you to maintain your health, it typically will not be covered by your health insurance a point to remember when adding up your laser eye prices.  Refractive surgery options available include the photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), the LASIK (Laser in situ keratomileusis), the Excimer LASIK and the Radial Keratotomy. Refractive surgery can be very beneficial for those who choose to undergo it as it eliminates the need for corrective visual aids that are at times cumbersome. People in certain jobs such as firefighting, flying, and police departments are well suited for this procedure since they require visual clarity that discourages the use of visual aids. People who have cosmetic concerns also can benefit from refractive surgery, as they may not want to wear glasses or contacts. Refractive surgery offers psychological help for those who feel handicapped by the restrictions presented by the visual aids they use.