Refractive corneal surgery Health Article

Definition

Refractive corneal surgery corrects mild-to-moderate nearsightedness. If you are nearsighted, you have trouble seeing things that are far away.

See also: LASIK eye surgery

Alternative Names

Nearsightedness surgery; Radial keratotomy; Refractive surgery

Description

Your surgeon will place numbing drops in your eye so you do not feel pain during surgery. The exact type of surgery done varies with each person.

• Your surgeon may use an instrument called a keratome to lift a piece of tissue from the surface of your cornea. You may feel some pressure or discomfort during this step.
• Your surgeon will use a laser to change the shape of the surface of your cornea. You'll be asked to stare at a light for about 1 minute during this time. Staring at the light helps keep your eye in one position while your surgeon works on it.
• After the laser treatment, your surgeon will put the lifted tissue back into place.

The surgery usually takes less than 30 minutes. Usually both eyes are done in the same session.

This method of refractive surgery has fewer side effects than radial keratotomy, a method that was common in the 1980s.

Why the Procedure Is Performed

Refractive surgery is used to treat nearsightedness. You will not need to wear glasses or contact lenses for distance vision after this surgery. Procedures are also available to treat farsightedness and astigmatism.

Risks

Your vision may not be completely restored after surgery. This is called under-correction. In some cases, vision may be over-corrected.

After surgery some patients may have:

• Spots (halos) in the eyes
• Difficulty seeing at night because of glare (light sensitivity)
• A dislodged cornea flap, even a long time after surgery
• Dry eyes
• Infections of the cornea that may lead to permanent vision loss. This is rare.
• Scarring that may lead to permanent vision loss. This is also rare.