How Laser Vision Correction Works

When light enters the eye, the curvature of the cornea, in conjunction with the lens, focuses images onto the retina.

In a normal eye, the curvature of the cornea is round and smooth, and precisely focuses light directly onto the retina, allowing a sharp, accurate image.

In some people, however, the eye is too long, causing the light to be focused in front of the retina. This situation is referred to as myopia or nearsightedness, and results in distant objects being blurred though near objects are seen clearly.

In others, the eye may be too short, causing the light to be focused behind the retina. This situation is referred to as hyperopia or farsightedness, and results in objects being blurred.

Others experience astigmatism, where a skewed cornea focuses light unevenly on the retina and is most often accompanied by either myopia or hyperopia. This condition results in constant blurring and image distortion, and intensifies the effects of myopia or hyperopia. In laser vision correction, we gently reshape the curve of the cornea by removing very small amounts of corneal tissue. Sharper vision is restored with the correct curvature of the cornea.