At Discover Vision Centers in Kansas City, MO, we offer many solutions for correcting astigmatism. Astigmatism is a common eye condition that causes blurry vision, resulting in headaches and eye strain. While glasses and contact lenses provide relief, astigmatism laser eye surgery offers a permanent solution.
Astigmatism is a common eye condition where the cornea, the front surface of the eye, or the crystalline lens , inside the eye, lens are shaped asymmetrically or “out of round“. This causes light to focus on multiple points rather than a single point on the retina, or the back surface of the eye, resulting in blurred vision. Astigmatism, like nearsightedness or farsightedness, causes refractive error in vision. People with uncorrected astigmatism view the world around them with distorted vision.
For astigmatic eyes, light comes to two focal points, rather than one. The power of the eye is based on the curvature of the horizontal and vertical meridian, and is divided into the following:
Myopic Astigmatism: when one or both of the eye’s meridians are myopic and focus light in front of the retina
Hyperopic Astigmatism: one or both meridians are farsighted or focus light behind the retina.
Mixed Astigmatism: one meridian is farsighted and the other is nearsighted.
Corneal astigmatism: Rather than being uniformly curved, the cornea is irregular in shape.
Lenticular astigmatism: Due to an irregular shape of the lens in the eye, rather than uniformly curved.
Symptoms of astigmatism include:
Some children who have astigmatism may struggle to see the blackboard at school or in sports, due to impaired distance vision.
If you suspect you may have astigmatism, be sure to schedule an appointment with an eye doctor Discover Vision Centers to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
Astigmatism is a relatively common refractive error that is usually present at birth. Most people do not have a perfectly rounded eye shape, resulting in astigmatism. Astigmatism may worsen or improve over time, regardless of how we use our eyes such as reading habits or screen use. There are some commonly accepted causes and risks for astigmatism:
Astigmatism is a refractive error that affects nearly 1 in 3 people.
If you suspect that you have astigmatism, an eye care specialist can diagnose astigmatism with a comprehensive eye exam. Your doctor will perform a series of tests that will help the doctor measure the degree of refractive error.
Some of the tests for astigmatism may include the following:
Eyeglasses and contact lenses are easy, non-surgical ways to compensate for astigmatism. While corrective lenses for astigmatism can help in the short term, eyeglasses, and contact lenses are not a permanent correction of astigmatism. A downside of toric contacts is that they are ballast-weighted so gravity affects them. As you blink they rotate on the eye and transiently blur vision.
If you wear glasses for astigmatism, you may experience blurry vision at the edges of the lenses. Glasses for astigmatism have an optical distortion in the periphery of the lenses, which does not occur with astigmatism corrective surgery.
While glasses or contacts can provide vision correction, they do not alter the shape of your eye. Laser eye surgery for astigmatism, on the other hand, employs lasers to address and rectify various vision issues.
The trained ophthalmologists at Discover Vision Centers offer the LASIK procedure as a safe and effective astigmatism correction surgery. LASIK surgery is short for laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis and involves the use of a laser to reshape the surface of the cornea, thus smoothing the irregular surface of the eye and resolving the refractive error to treat astigmatism.
The newer SMILE laser eye surgery for astigmatism involves corneal reshaping using a laser to create a lens-shaped piece of tissue (lenticule) just beneath the cornea’s surface. This lenticule is subsequently extracted through a minute incision. Currently, the SMILE procedure, which stands for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction, is approved for addressing mild and moderate astigmatism.
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), also known as advanced surface ablation (ASA), is an effective laser eye surgery for astigmatism. PRK can be a great alternative for patients who are not candidates for other forms of laser eye surgery, such as LASIK or SMILE. PRK has a similar outcome to LASIK and SMILE, but this laser vision correction is slightly different, as PRK does not involve the creation of a flap on the surface of the eye.
Another astigmatism laser eye surgery is the intraocular lens implant, also known as an IOL. An IOL is an artificial lens that replaces the eye’s natural lens during cataract surgery or refractive lens replacement/exchange. IOLs can correct astigmatism with toric IOL or the light adjustable lens.
Untreated astigmatism can give rise to various complications. For instance, if not corrected, it can lead to amblyopia or a “lazy eye”, especially when one eye has more severe astigmatism than the other. Moreover, uncorrected astigmatism may cause persistent eye strain and headaches.
However, even with laser eye surgery, there are potential risks associated with surgical intervention. Temporary side effects post-surgery include dry eyes, light sensitivity, and nighttime vision issues. In some cases, more lasting complications like vision loss or regression to the pre-surgery visual state can also occur.
Astigmatism generally cannot be prevented, as it is often present from birth or develops naturally over time as the eyes undergo changes. If you have astigmatism, there is a possibility that your children might also inherit or develop a similar refractive error.
Regular eye examinations are essential to promptly identify and address potential vision issues. The frequency of these exams varies based on age and individual needs. Here’s a general guideline:
However, certain circumstances may require more frequent checks:
Consulting an eye care specialist is crucial to determine the optimal exam schedule for your specific situation.
Preparation is key for your upcoming eye appointment, regardless of the specialist you’re seeing. Here’s what you can do:
When you’re considering laser eye surgery for astigmatism, it’s important to seek out reputable and experienced surgeons like those at Discover Vision Centers. Our doctors are located in Kansas City, Leawood, Blue Springs, Lees Summit, Independence, Raymore, Harrisonville, Olathe, and The Legends. Our eye care experts will answer your questions and help you weigh all your options to discern which surgery for astigmatism is right for you and your lifestyle. Discover Vision is a full refractive and astigmatism treatment center.
Dr. John Doane is fellowship-trained in refractive surgery. He is actively involved in FDA clinical trials related to emerging intraocular lens implant technologies. He specializes in laser vision correction surgeries ( SMILE, LASIK, PRK ), Intraocular Contact / Collamer Lens and intraocular implant surgery with Light Adjustable Lens or Toric lenses for astigmatism correction.
Dr. Randy Jackson is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in refractive surgery, including LASIK Laser Vision Correction, Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK), Full Focus® Vision Correction, and cataract surgery.
Astigmatism is a common vision condition where the cornea or lens of the eye is asymmetrically shaped, causing blurred or distorted vision. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, it is estimated that about 1 in 3 people have some degree of astigmatism. It can occur at any age, and it may be present alone or with other refractive errors such as nearsightedness or farsightedness. Astigmatism can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery. At least 70% of those undergoing laser vision correction will have astigmatism corrected.
Astigmatism can affect vision by causing images to appear blurry or distorted. The irregular shape of the cornea or lens of the eye can cause light to be focused unevenly on the retina, leading to vision problems. Instead of being a sphere or like a tennis ball the shape is more like an American football. This can cause symptoms such as blurred vision at all distances, difficulty seeing fine details or reading small print, eye strain or fatigue, headaches, and distorted or wavy vision.
Astigmatism can be hereditary, meaning that it can be passed down from parents to their children. Environmental factors can also play a role in the development of astigmatism, such as eye trauma, eye surgery, excessive eye-rubbing, or other eye conditions. It is important to have regular eye exams to monitor vision and detect any changes in visual acuity or eye health, particularly if there is a family history of eye conditions like astigmatism.
Astigmatism can worsen over time, particularly during childhood and adolescence when the eyes are still developing. In some cases, astigmatism may progress to a more severe degree, leading to increasingly blurry vision or other visual symptoms that likely would need to be corrected for adequate functioning.
Astigmatism correction surgery cost can vary widely depending on factors such as the type of laser eye surgery, location, and individual patient needs. On average, it can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per eye. It’s best to consult with an eye care specialist to get a personalized estimate based on your situation.
