What is Refractive Surgery?
Your Vision
Sight is our most precious sense. People who need glasses to see the alarm clock each morning know all too well the frustration of total dependency on glasses and contact lenses. However, the decision to have refractive surgery must be made after careful consideration and education. In the following pages, we will help you understand refractive surgery, and what it can mean to you.
Penn Eye Care Vision Surgery and Laser Center is dedicated to providing patients with the best available refractive care – the best techniques, technology, facilities, and most importantly – the best doctors and staff. We constantly measure our clinical results and services against the best practices in the United States and abroad, and we are proud to be able to provide you with the highest quality refractive surgery care.
What is Refractive Surgery?
Before the 1980’s, only two options existed for people with vision problems: glasses or contact lenses. Radial keratotomy (RK) was the first type of refractive surgery to correct nearsightedness. RK involved spoke-like incisions made in the cornea to flatten it and to correct the refractive error. The long-term effects of RK were poor and it is rarely practiced today.
Today, there are many options to correct refractive errors. Laser vision correction is the most common and uses a precise cool beam of light from an excimer laser to remove a thin layer of cornea. Removing microns of the cornea flattens its shape and improves the focusing ability of the eyes.
The excimer laser is used in the three most popular forms of refractive treatment:
These proven procedures can help people enjoy their lives with better vision and freedom from glasses and contact lenses.
Some people are not good candidates for laser vision correction. Other options such as intraocular lens implantation, INTACS and Conductive Keratoplasty are available.
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