Astigmatism Surgery

New York City, Long Island, and Manhattan, NY

As people age, they often notice their eyesight becoming worse, but many people experienced blurred or fuzzy vision at a younger age, and you may not be aware that the cause of your poor vision is a condition called astigmatism. Astigmatism affects millions of people but can be treated with the use of “hard” contact lenses or, more commonly, through laser vision correction like New York City LASIK.

Description of Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a common condition caused by an irregularity in the shape of the cornea or lens. That may mean that your cornea or lens which should be circular to create the best focus is flat on one side or elongated into an ovular shape. This changes the shape of the light as it enters the eye, making objects unclear.

Unlike nearsightedness and farsightedness, which simply make objects at a close or far distance appear blurry, astigmatism changes the appearance of the shape of objects, making straight lines look convex or blurry. This affects objects at any distance, making both near and far objects appear warped or blurry.

Astigmatism often occurs in conjunction with nearsightedness or farsightedness, and may make it difficult to bring objects at either near or far distances into focus. The cause for astigmatism is most commonly hereditary, and there is no known way to prevent astigmatism. Other individuals experience astigmatism only after an eye injury. However, astigmatism can be treated, and is not usually a progressive condition.

Treating Astigmatism

While it is possible to treat astigmatism that affects the cornea with rigid contact lenses that gradually reshape the surface of the eye, many patients find greater value in the more immediate solution of laser vision surgery to treat astigmatism. Using laser vision surgery to treat astigmatism is an immediate solution and may be able to simultaneously correct nearsightedness or farsightedness if present.

Many patients prefer LASIK as a treatment for astigmatism as it frees them from the use of contact lenses or glasses, and is a permanent procedure. However, patients who have undergone treatment for astigmatism may still find their eyes changing as they age due to a condition called presbyopia, or aging eyes. This is not a fault in astigmatism treatment, but simply a natural progression of age.

In the New York City area, you can find treatment for astigmatism at Kelly Laser Center, one of the foremost laser vision correction clinics in the state. Please contact LASIK surgeon Dr. James Kelly today to learn more about treating astigmatism, or to schedule your appointment, available to patients in New York City, Long Island, and Manhattan, New York.