Refractive Surgery

Refractive surgery is the term used to describe any of a variety of eye surgeries to correct refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism) and thereby reduce or eliminate a person’s need for eyeglasses 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 procedures for vision correction 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:

More than 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, or implantable lenses. (LTK, RK, CK and AK have largely been replaced by LASIK and other laser procedures, while Intacs is now primarily used for keratoconus.)

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.

If you choose not to have refractive surgery, your alternatives will be eyeglasses and contact lenses. You may have heard about eye exercises for this purpose, but there is no medical or scientific evidence that refractive error can be cured with eye exercises (read an article on Quackwatch about this).

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