How Is a Stigmatism Fixed?
- Astigmatism is an optical disorder in which the cornea or lens of the eye is not shaped correctly. This can lead to blurred vision in most people that have the defect. Many people have astigmatism, but it is the varying degree in which astigmatism effects the eyes that determines whether or not your vision will be affected. In a regular eye, the shape of the cornea is round, much like a circle. However, in astigmatism, the eye is shaped more like a football, making it difficult for the optics of the eye to focus images on the retina.
- Laser eye surgery is currently the only FDA approved method of fixing astigmatism. The most popular form of laser eye surgery on the market today is LASIK, or Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. LASIK involves using laser technology to surgically vaporize portions of the eye to permanently changes the shape of the cornea.
- The process of LASIK eye surgery starts with using a speculum to hold the eye open. A speculum is a piece of equipment that hooks onto the eye lids and forces them to stay open. Next a suction ring is placed over the cornea to mark where the cornea flap will be cut. Next a piece of equipment called a microkeratome will be used to surgically cut a circular flap around the cornea. The microkeratome has a specialized blade that can do this without harming the rest of the eye. Once the corneal flap has been cut, the flap is peeled back to reveal the cornea. Once the cornea has been revealed, the specialized laser is turned on to pulse a highly centralized beam at the areas of the cornea that need to be reshaped. The pulses of the laser vaporize the unwanted tissue of the cornea, leaving it correctly shaped. The correct shape allows light to reflect correctly. This allows images to be reflected clearly onto the retina, correcting any blurriness that may have been experienced before the procedure.
- Not all astigmatisms are guaranteed to be fixed by laser eye surgery. The greater levels of irregularity in the shape of the cornea directly reflects the chances that the laser eye surgery will be successful, especially once astigmatism reaches greater than 1.5 D. Luckily, according to the Phillips Eye Institute, only about 8 percent of the population has astigmatism that high. The majority of the population (about 45 percent) has astigmatism of 1.0 D or less.
