Could You Have An Eye Astigmatism?

Can Cataract Surgery Cure Astigmatism?

During a typical cataract surgery, the ophthalmologist removes the cloudy lens in the eye and replaces it with a clear artificial lens, called an intraocular lens. The ophthalmologist must first remove the cornea to reach the lens. While the surgeon has the cornea out, they will make small incisions to the edges of a misshapen cornea and insert the intraocular lens. Correcting astigmatism, however, requires the ophthalmologist to vary the typical cataract surgery.

The most successful variation is to use a toric intraocular lens instead of the standard, as these have the necessary astigmatism correction built in, though the ophthalmologist must order them specifically. The good news with the toric intraocular lens is a lessened reliance on corrective eyeglasses after the surgery is over. The other option for correcting astigmatism during cataract surgery is for the surgeon to perform limbal relaxing incisions, but these are only able to correct some astigmatism, and it is almost impossible to tell if they are successful until later.

Can LASIK Eye Surgery Correct Astigmatism?

Yes, Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is another refractive eye surgery with the ability to help correct astigmatism. It is an outpatient procedure, meaning no overnight hospital stay is required. In this surgery, the ophthalmologist will use a laser to reshape the cornea after creating a thin flap in the cornea and removing a specific amount of the corneal tissue, also with a laser, before laying the flap back and letting it heal. This will help the cornea focus light rays onto the retina properly.

For the most part, LASIK allows patients to perform most daily tasks without requiring contacts or corrective eyeglasses. However, achieving perfect vision after this surgery is rare, which patients should keep in mind before undergoing the procedure. They will often require corrective eyeglasses for tasks such as reading or night driving.