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Astigmatism

Los Angeles, California

Astigmatism is a widespread eye condition where the front part of your eye, your cornea, is not spherical like a ball. Instead the cornea is distorted, resulting in blurred vision. While astigmatism is generally hereditary, it can also be the result of eye injury from surgeries where your cornea was subjected to scarring, or an untreated pterygium. Astigmatism does not cause eye pain, just vision impairments.

It can be treated a number of ways:

Glasses

All eyeglass prescriptions can be written to compensate for astigmatism. To do this, eyeglass manufacturers must grind an additional curvature into the eyeglass lens, to the bend that already compensates for your myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness). Also, a majority of sunglasses can be turned into prescription eyewear.

Contact Lenses

Contacts that correct astigmatism are called toric contact lenses. These lenses were once only available as hard lenses. Today, soft lenses too can fix astigmatism for many patients. Soft toric lenses are now available as:

• Daily disposable lenses
• Planned replacement lenses
• Multifocals
• Silicone hydrogel lenses
• Colored lenses

LASIK

LASIK is a treatment for astigmatism treatment that uses an excimer laser to reshape your cornea so it can accurately focus images on to your retina. The LASIK procedure involves creating a small flap in the cornea and getting underneath it to reshape your tissue. The cornea heals quickly, and you can notice improvements to your vision the following day.

PRK

PRK stands for “photorefractive keratectomy,” which is the oldest form of refractive surgery available in the United States. This method remains a preferred treatment for astigmatism for those who have large pupils or thin corneas which disqualify them as a LASIK candidate. This process involves removing the outer layer of your cornea (called the epithelium), and using a cool ultraviolet light to reshape your cornea's surface. Because it requires that the epithelium regrow, the PRK method requires a longer time to recover.

LASEK

Again, if your corneas are too thin or too flat for traditional LASIK surgery, or if you suffer from dry eye syndrome, this procedure is ideal. The LASEK method involves creating a removable section of the epithelium with a trepine and separating it from the cornea with alcohol. This section is moved before reshaping the surface of the cornea. Once the cornea has been reshaped, Dr. Khanna will replace the epithelium section. Unlike in PRK, recovery from LASEK does not require the regrowth of the epithelium.

EpiLASIK

EpiLASIK is a form of astigmatism treatment very similar to LASEK. EpiLASIK differs from LASEK in that it utilizes a plastic blade called an epithelial separator to pull back your epithelium section. This action eliminates the need for the alcohol solution used in LASEK. This treatment is also ideal for those with thin corneas.

You do not have to love with astigmatism any longer. If you are interested in making permanent enhancements to your vision please contact our Orange County ophthalmologist Dr. Khanna today to schedule up your free vision screening. We offer two convenient methods for scheduling your appointment: you can call our office schedule your appointment online today.