Ophthalmology Services Ask The Expert/FAQs

Other Frequently Asked Questions:

	Q.	What vision conditions can be corrected with laser surgery?
	Q.	What is LASIK surgery?
	Q.	What is PRK surgery?
	Q.	What are implantable contact lenses?
	Q.	What is a cataract?
	Q.	What causes a cataract to form?
	Q.	How are cataracts treated?

Q. What vision conditions can be corrected with laser surgery?

A. Myopia (Nearsightedness)
Patients with myopia can see near objects clearly but things at a distance are blurred. Myopia usually results when the eye is too large or elongated, which causes light entering the eye to focus before reaching the retina.

Hyperopia (Farsightedness)
Patients with hyperopia have good distance vision but close-up objects appear blurred. Hyperopia is due to the eye being smaller than normal, causing light entering the eye from close-in objects to come into focus too far behind the retina.

Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a condition that can impair vision close up and at a distance. It occurs when the cornea and lens of the eye is oval in shape instead of round. This lets light entering the eye to focus on several points on the retina instead of one, causing blurring. Astigmatism often occurs with myopia or hyperopia.

Presbyopia
Most patients begin to experience presbyopia, or “old-eyes,” in their 40s. This occurs as the eye lens hardens naturally with age and loses the flexibility to focus on close-up objects.

Q. What is LASIK surgery?

A. LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) surgery was first approved for use in the United States in 1995 and remains one of the most popular vision correction procedures. It involves making a thin flap in the cornea and reshaping of the corneal surface.

Q. What is PRK surgery?

A. For patients whose corneas are too thin or who have other conditions, other options to LASIK surgery involve laser treatment to the outer layer of cells on the cornea. These are called PRK (photorefractive keratectomy), LASEK (laser epithelial keratomileusis) or Epi-LASIK surgery.

Q. What are implantable contact lenses?

A. For patients with extreme nearsightedness, thin corneas or other conditions, another option is surgery to implant an intraocular lens. Implantable lenses are now available to treat nearsightedness and are in development for patients with farsightedness and astigmatism.

Q. What is a cataract?

A. A cataract is a clouding of the transparent dome-shaped surface of the eye that prevents light from reaching the retina. It results in blurred vision, glare and halos around objects.

There are three types of cataracts:

• Nuclear cataracts, which form in the nucleus or center of the lens, usually as patients age.
• Cortical cataracts, which form in the cortex, outside of the eye lens. Over time, this cataract extends from the outside to the inside of the lens. They are common in diabetic patients.
• Subcapsular cataracts, which form at the back of the lens. This type of cataract is common in diabetics, people taking steroid medication and those who are farsighted or have retinitis pigmentosa.

Q. What causes a cataract to form?

A. It isn’t known why cataracts form but some common risk factors have been identified:

• Ultraviolet light exposure
• Diabetes
• Steroid medication
• Cigarette smoking
• Heavy alcohol consumption

Q. How are cataracts treated?

A. When a patient has small or slowly developing cataracts, they can compensate temporarily with prescription glasses or bifocals or avoiding activity such as driving at night.

Patients with cataracts that impair visual function often have surgery to replace the natural lens with a soft plastic intraocular lens (IOL). This microsurgery, involving tiny incisions, is performed in an outpatient ambulatory surgery center.

The intraocular lens is designed so that during surgery, it is folded and inserted into the eye through a small incision. After insertion, the lens gently unfolds and the supporting arms of the lens work to maintain proper positioning within the patient’s eye.

In most cases, the procedure is completed in less than 20 minutes. Numbing medicine on the eye makes it painless. Most patients find their vision improved immediately after the surgery.

Questions? Contact UC Irvine's Refractive Surgery LASIK Center at 949.824.9970.

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