Clear vision is the result of light rays properly focusing on the retina of a normal eye. Your eye works like a camera -- light rays enter your eye through the cornea, or "window" of the eye. Ideally, the cornea bends the light rays to create a focal point that equals the length of the eye.

	In a myopic eye (commonly referred to as "nearsightedness") light rays from objects are focused in front of the retina. This causes images, particularly at a distance, to be blurred.
	In a hyperopic eye (commonly referred to as "farsightedness") light rays from objects are focused in the back of the retina. This causes images, particularly close up, to be blurred.
	Astigmatism is a condition where the front of the cornea is not uniformly curved, but slightly oval or "football" shaped. As a result, rays of light that enter the eye are bent unequally and cause distortion of the image. Most people have some degree of astigmatism.

Three variables can be altered to achieve clear vision. These are: changing the light as it enters the eye, altering the front curve of the eye, or changing the length of the eye.

For centuries, directing light rays with lenses has obtained clear vision. Glass or plastic lenses bend light the exact amount required to change the focal point to match the length of the eye, producing clear vision. Later, contact lenses would be used to achieve the same results.

Researchers have been trying for decades to come up with a more practical solution to create clear vision. Early research led to the development of several surgical procedures, including Radial Keratotomy (RK) and Automated Lamellar Keratectomy (ALK). These procedures offered some improvements but were limited in the degree of correction possible. With the advent of the excimer laser, more precise vision correction procedures such as Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) and Laser in Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) were developed.

Many surgeons believe LASIK to be a superior technology for vision correction. Rather than bend light before it enters the eye, LASIK allows the surgeon to design a corneal shape that will bend incoming light to correspond with the length of the eye. This technological breakthrough has changed the way people think about vision correction. The LASIK procedure is performed as an outpatient procedure with only a topical anesthetic. The vast majority of patients are spectacle or contacts lens free the day following surgery! To find a LaserVision affiliated ophthalmologist in your area, click here.