The eye is like a camera where light passes through a lens system back onto the film. The cornea and lens are in the front of the eye (anterior chamber) and work like a camera lens. In the normal eye, light rays of an image pass through the cornea and then are focused directly on the retina to produce a clear image.

Myopia (Near-sightedness) In a myopic eye, the light rays pass through the cornea and lens but the point at which they converge (focus) is in front of the retina, not on the retina. This configuration allows clear images of near objects but not those that are far away. Non-surgical treatment options for myopia include glasses and contact lenses. While there are numerous surgical options available, not all individuals are good candidates for specific procedures.

Hyperopia (Far-sightedness) In a hyperopic eye, the light rays do not converge or focus by the time they reach the retina. Hyperopic patients can focus on more distant objects, but not images that are close at hand. Patients should discuss all treatment options in depth with their physicians. While there are numerous surgical options available, not all individuals are good candidates for specific procedures.

Astigmatism With astigmatism, the front of the eye is oval, like a rugby ball, rather than spherical like a basketball. The rays of light do not converge into a single point but form a line on the retina. There are various types of astigmatism including regular, mixed and irregular astigmatism. Currently, excimer lasers are approved for treatment of regular and mixed astigmatism. Recent advances in technology now allow for the therapeutic treatment of induced irregular astigmatism.

What is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is the age-related loss of close-up focusing ability. Caused by changes within the eye’s crystalline lens, Presbyopia affects many people as they age. Wearing reading glasses or bifocals treats this condition. Presbyopia is not affected by the laser treatment. When we are young, our eye lens is soft and flexible and can change shape easily, allowing the eye to focus on objects both close and far away. As people enter their 40s, the lens becomes less flexible and is unable to focus on close-up objects. Initially the blurring is worse in dim light, which is why many people first realize they have Presbyopia when they have difficulty reading a menu. Later, the fine print in newspapers, magazines and phone books appears blurry.

What is Monovision?

Monovision is the purposeful adjustment of one eye for near vision and the other for distance vision. This is accomplished with either corrective lenses or Lasik surgery. Because Monovision can affect depth perception, it may take a little time to get used to, and a small number of people cannot tolerate it at all. A preoperative trial with contact lenses is useful to test if the patient can adapt to Monovision. This procedure may not be suitable for people whose work involves the use of a heavy vehicle licence or similar. While patients with such occupations may adapt easily to Monovision, there are cases where glasses still need to be worn to achieve the visual standards required by their licence. If you have any further questions regarding Monovision or any other Laser procedure, please call our clinic.