Corneal surgery

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Radial keratotomy for myopia - series

Lasik eye surgery - series

Overview

Recovery

Risks

Corneal surgery

Definition:

Corneal surgery corrects mild to moderate nearsightedness (myopia). Procedures are also available for farsightedness and astigmatism.

Alternative Names:

Nearsightedness surgery; Radial keratotomy; Refractive surgery; LASIK

Description:

Topical anesthesia (numbing eye drops) is used. The exact surgical method depends on the patient. In many cases, the ophthalmic surgeon will use an instrument called a keratome to lift a piece of tissue from the surface of the cornea. A laser re-shapes the surface of the cornea and the tissue is put back into place.

The procedure is usually painless and the improvement in vision is usually immediate. The patient can quickly return to most activities, but must avoid bumping the eye or submerging in water (swimming, for example).

This method of refractive surgery offers fewer side effects compared to radial keratotomy, which was common in the 1980's. Usually both eyes are done in the same session.

Indications:

Refractive surgery is used to treat nearsightedness so that corrective lenses will no longer be necessary. Most forms of nearsightedness can be reliably corrected.

Review Date: 4/8/2005
Reviewed By: Raymond S. Douglas, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Ophthalmology, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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