about your vision FAQ
If you don't see your question or topic addressed here, check with your doctor.
What kinds of vision problems can traditional LASIK correct?
Depending on which laser system is used, traditional LASIK surgery can help if you are nearsighted, farsighted, or have a condition known as astigmatism. Surgery can treat these vision problems in most cases, but certain health problems may eliminate you as a candidate. Your eye specialist can evaluate and diagnose your vision problems, and can tell you whether or not traditional LASIK surgery is for you.
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What kinds of vision problems can CustomCornea® correct?
CustomCornea® laser vision correction is currently FDA-approved to treat nearsightedness and astigmatism. FDA trials are ongoing for the treatment of a wide range of astigmatism and farsightedness, as well as eyes with more significant problems. In addition, CustomCornea® can address a range of common vision problems called higher order aberrations. These problems are widely believed to contribute to low-light vision problems, including glare and halos. In October 2002, CustomCornea® became the first laser vision correction procedure FDA-approved to treat higher order aberrations.
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What are lower order aberrations?
Lower order aberrations are the familiar vision problems that affect over half the population of the United States, including nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism.
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What is nearsightedness, or myopia?
When you have more trouble seeing distant images clearly than close-up images, you may be nearsighted (myopia). If you are nearsighted, light rays from distant images do not focus to a precise point on the retina. It can also occur in combination with astigmatism. For more information, see familiar vision problems. Both traditional LASIK and CustomCornea® laser vision surgery can help correct these conditions.
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What is farsightedness, or hyperopia?
When you have more trouble seeing close-up images clearly, you may be farsighted (hyperopia). If you are farsighted, light rays from distant images focus behind the retina. It can also occur in combination with astigmatism. For more information, see familiar vision problems. Traditional LASIK can help correct these conditions.
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What is astigmatism?
When images focus on different points in front of or behind your retina, images both near and far may appear blurry. This condition is astigmatism. When astigmatism is combined with farsightedness, or hyperopia, it is called hyperopic astigmatism. When combined with nearsightedness, or myopia, it is called myopic astigmatism. Mixed astigmatism occurs when the astigmatism is both hyperopic and myopic or when the eye has characteristics of both nearsightedness and farsightedness. For more information, see common vision problems. Traditional LASIK can help correct all these conditions, and depending on the severity of your correction, CustomCornea® may also be able to treat these conditions.
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What are higher order aberrations?
Higher order aberrations are a range of common vision problems that affect the quality of your vision. Ophthalmic experts believe these problems affect visual quality, especially in low-light situations. They believe higher order aberrations can contribute to night vision problems like glare and halos. In October 2002, CustomCornea® became the first laser vision correction procedure FDA-approved to treat higher order aberrations.
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What is coma?
Coma is a higher order aberration that makes objects appear to have a comet-shaped pattern, which creates blurring in your vision.
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What is spherical aberration?
Spherical aberration reflects a change in curvature between the center and edge of the pupil. This can cause halos in your vision.
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What is secondary astigmatism?
Secondary astigmatism is a higher order aberration that can create multiple focal points and blurs your vision.
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What is presbyopia?
Presbyopia, a natural phenomenon caused by aging, occurs due to the physiological stiffening of the lens inside the eye. (It's the reason so many people start to need reading glasses around the age of 40.)
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Can the LADARVision® System correct my prescription?
To learn whether the LADARVision® System is right for you, you need to find a doctor that uses LADARVision® and schedule a consultation with the center.
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