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 surgery offers a permanent solution. Some options include laser vision correction surgeries and treatments for astigmatism such as SMILE, LASIK, PRK, or Intraocular lens replacement (IOL) surgery using a toric IOL or Light Adjustable IOL implant.
Astigmatism is a common eye condition where the cornea, the front surface of the eye, or the intraocular lens are shaped irregularly. 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 is myopic and focuses light in front of the retina
Hyperopic Astigmatism: one or both meridians is farsighted or focuses 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 seeing 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.
The trained ophthalmologists at Discover Vision Centers offer LASIK surgery as a safe and effective treatment for astigmatism. LASIK 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 procedure can also treat low and moderate levels of astigmatism.
Intraocular Lens Implant (IOL)
Another astigmatism cure 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. IOL’s can correct astigmatism with toric designs or the Light Adjustable Lens.
Advanced surface ablation (ASA), also known as photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), is an effective 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 the procedure is slightly different, as PRK does not involve the creation of a flap on the surface of the eye.
A toric IOL is similar to other forms of intraocular lenses, except they are used to treat astigmatism. Astigmatism is a refractive error that affects nearly 1 in 3 people. Astigmatism can occur in one or both eyes, and has the characteristic of making vision blurry. An irregular shape in the cornea or the lens can change the way light passes through your eye. The result is often blurry or distorted vision, resulting in the need for contacts, eyeglasses, or corrective surgery. Toric lenses are a great option for patients who want to be free of cataracts, but who also want freedom from eyeglasses after surgery. Toric lenses can also be used with refractive lens replacement. Another alternative to treat astigmatism is the use of the Light Adjustable Lens.
Astigmatism is a common vision condition where the cornea or lens of the eye has an irregular shape, causing blurry or distorted vision. Eyeglasses and contact lenses are easy, non-surgical ways to compensate for astigmatism. While they help with astigmatism 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. This does not occur with laser vision correction or lens implant surgeries. If you wear glasses for astigmatism, you may experience blurry vision at the edges of the lenses. Glasses for Astigmatism have optical distortion in the periphery of the lenses, which does not occur with astigmatism corrective surgery. For those who prefer to not wear glasses or contacts, there is surgery to fix astigmatism such as with LASIK, SMILE, or IOL surgery.
Astigmatism is a relatively common condition 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 common refractive error of the eye. You might have astigmatism if your vision is blurry or distorted. Sometimes this means that you may struggle to see at a distance and/or up close, have headaches, or eye strain. If you suspect that you have astigmatism, an eye care specialist can diagnose astigmatism with an eye exam. Your doctor will perform a series of tests which will help the doctor measure the degree of refractive error.
Some of the test for astigmatism may include the following:
Visual acuity test: A visual acuity tests how well you see using a wall chart of letters or symbols and a handheld chart during an eye exam.
Refraction: Your eye doctor will measure your prescription, or the amount of refractive error
Keratometry: measures the curvature of the cornea or the front surface of the eye
Corneal Topography/Tomography: Topography/Tomography is a computerized system to digitally measure the curvature of the cornea. It can also be used to plan treatment of astigmatism.
Slit lamp exam: A slit lamp is a special microscope that uses a light beam to examine the eye externally and internally
When you’re considering solutions for your vision with 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.
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 irregularly 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
– 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.
