Astigmatism is a very common vision problem. Despite having a somewhat scary-sounding name, astigmatism is not an eye disease — it’s merely a refractive error like nearsightedness and farsightedness– and it can be remedied with glasses, contact lenses and LASIK surgery.
Can LASIK Fix Astigmatism?
Yes, in many cases, LASIK can fully correct astigmatism, and the effect is irreversible.
Astigmatism typically is caused by the front surface of the eye (cornea) having an asymmetrical shape.
An example that’s frequently used to describe this is to state the cornea is shaped like a football rather than like a baseball. Another is to say that an eye with astigmatism is shaped like an egg or the back of a spoon, instead of like a ping-pong ball.
LASIK eye surgery has proven an effective treatment for individuals with mild or moderate astigmatism. LASIK is likewise a hassle-free alternative for physically active people who discover eye glasses or contacts a nuisance, even if they do not have astigmatism.
The ultra-precise lasers used for LASIK surgery can be programmed to reshape the cornea so the front surface of the eye is more symmetrical, thus getting rid of vision problems triggered by astigmatism.
How many LASIK Surgeries Do You Need for Astigmatism?
When astigmatism exists, it generally does not go beyond 3.0 diopters (D) in magnitude and can be totally fixed with a single LASIK procedure.
Even greater quantities of astigmatism can be fixed with LASIK, though this increases the probability a follow-up LASIK enhancement might be had to fine-tune the correction.
If you have high astigmatism, this might impact your LASIK surgery cost, depending upon the policies of the LASIK surgeon and/or surgery center you choose. If so, this will be discussed with you during your preoperative examination and assessment.