Refractive Surgery

For complete information on refractive surgery, visit the Consumer Guide to LASIK & Laser Eye Surgery.

Refractive surgery is the term used to describe any of a variety of eye surgeries to correct refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism) and thereby reduce or eliminate a person’s need for glasses or contact lenses. The most popular refractive surgery today is LASIK, a laser vision correction procedure that improves eyesight by reshaping the front surface of the eye with an excimer laser. ("LASIK" is an acronym for "laser in situ keratomileusis," which means "to reshape the living cornea.")

Other laser vision correction procedures include:

There are also non-laser refractive surgery procedures. Though these are not as popular as LASIK and other laser procedures, they may be the surgery of choice in some cases. These procedures include:

For many individuals — but certainly not all — LASIK is the refractive surgery procedure of choice. Over 90% of refractive eye surgeries performed in the United States are LASIK procedures. However, depending on your refractive error and other factors, your eye doctor may recommend PRK, Epi-LASEK, LASEK, CK, or Intacs. (LTK, RK and AK have largely been replaced by LASIK and other laser procedures, and are used infrequently.)

Researchers are currently investigating a number of emerging refractive surgery technologies. In particular, companies are looking for a way to use refractive surgery to correct presbyopia.

For complete information on refractive surgery, visit the Consumer Guide to LASIK & Laser Eye Surgery.