Astigmatism and Its Treatments

Astigmatism is a relatively common aberration of the eye wherein a person has difficulty bringing things into sharp focus. It is estimated that nearly a third of the world's population has some form of astigmatism.

There are essentially two different kinds of astigmatism: irregular astigmatism, which is a result of scarring or trauma, and regular astigmatism, which is caused by a natural defect in the cornea or lens. In both cases, the condition warps the shape of the cornea and makes it impossible for the eye to correctly process light. While different contact lenses can temporarily correct the effects of astigmatism, only refractive surgery can permanently repair the defect and restore perfect vision.

LASIK (which stands for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) is the most common eye surgery used for the treatment of astigmatism. People suffering from irregular astigmatism may not be eligible for the LASIK operation if they have scarring on the corneal tissue that needs to be reshaped. Your eye doctor or ophthalmologist can help you to decide if a refractive surgery option is an option for you. Should you pursue refractive surgery, your selected surgeon will first conduct a pre-op assessment to determine which procedure is best for your particular case of astigmatism. Some lasers are not precise enough to treat severe cases of astigmatism, in which case you may need to pursue a more personalized operation like custom LASIK.

In addition to the popular laser surgery LASIK, astigmatism may also be treated with a variation of radial keratotomy (or RK) called astigmatic keratotomy (or AK). Whereas the LASIK surgery corrects the eye by cutting a flap of corneal tissue and then replacing it, AK corrects the eye through several minute and precise incisions. In especially severe or complicated cases of astigmatism, the AK and LASIK procedures may be used together.