When our North York patients ask us if laser eye surgery can fix astigmatism we know they want a simple answer to whether it will make them see better. At SeeRite Eye Clinic we can tell our patients that laser eye surgery works well for most people with astigmatism but the full answer depends on your eyes and your situation.
When your cornea isn’t smooth like it should be it becomes astigmatic. A cornea with astigmatism is shaped more like an egg or a football than a basketball. Some parts are steeper than others. Because of this uneven curvature light coming into your eye scatters and focuses in more than one place instead of just on your retina. This makes it hard to see whether you’re looking up close or far away. Laser surgery can fix nearsightedness or farsightedness at the same time as astigmatism for many people.
Laser surgery fixes astigmatism by using precision laser technology to change the shape of your cornea so it’s more regular and even. The surgeon uses precise measurements of your cornea to set up the laser which then removes tiny amounts of tissue from certain areas. This process of reshaping lets light focus correctly on your retina and makes your vision better. Today laser technology is very precise and can fix even the most complex astigmatism patterns.
We need to check your eyes very carefully before we can tell you if laser surgery will help your astigmatism. We use our pre- and post-op LASIK and cataract management services to map your cornea in great detail so we can see its exact shape and figure out how much correction is needed. We also do a full eye exam to check the health of your eyes and find anything that would make you ineligible for surgery.
There are many things that will affect whether laser surgery will fix your astigmatism. The severity of your astigmatism is important since treatment usually works better for mild to moderate cases than for very severe ones. Your corneal thickness is also important since the laser needs to remove tissue to reshape your cornea and there needs to be enough healthy tissue left over after that. Your age, the stability of your prescription and any other eye problems you have will all affect whether or not surgery is right for you.
Laser surgery works well for most astigmatism patients who are ideal candidates. Many people have their vision good enough that they don’t need glasses or contact lenses for everyday tasks anymore. But we always discuss what you can realistically expect during your appointment. Some people with high astigmatism may still need a little help with certain tasks or their astigmatism may get better over time.
We will take care of you after your surgery to make sure you heal properly and get the best possible results. Many patients get dry eyes while they are healing and our dry eye treatment services help with this common problem. Taking care of dry eye properly will help your vision get better and make healing more comfortable.
We’re committed to preventing eye disease for the rest of your life and we’ll keep an eye on your health after surgery with regular checks. These visits will help us find problems early and make sure your eyes stay healthy for a long time.
We’re here to deal with eye emergencies and injuries if problems or worries arise before or after your surgery. Although serious problems are rare with modern laser surgery it’s nice to know you can get help from experienced eye care professionals.
Good nutrition can also help your eyes heal properly while you recover. We’d be happy to discuss diets and supplements that support eye health.
We tell our North York patients who come to our specialist myopia control clinic in North York that laser surgery works for adults with astigmatism but we use different methods for kids with vision problems.
If you’re not ready for surgery or need correction afterwards our optical services can help you choose comfortable glasses or contacts. At SeeRite Eye Clinic we can help you determine if laser eye surgery will fix your astigmatism based on your individual needs. Laser surgery can get rid of the blur and distortion of astigmatism for many people if they are properly evaluated and have realistic expectations.