Refractive surgery includes numerous surgical procedures that can eliminate the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses. The aim is to correct the refractive power of the eye in such a way that the focal point is on the retina and clear images are formed.
Refractive surgery methods can be divided into two groups: laser surgery and lens surgery. Laser surgery corrects the strength and shape of the cornea. Lens surgery is used when the defective vision is much more severe. With this method, an additional contact lens is placed in the eye or the patient’s own lens is replaced with an artificial lens. In special cases, laser and lens surgery can be combined.
The dioptres are not the only factor to be taken into account in selecting the appropriate procedure, but also numerous others such as the thickness of the cornea and the depth of the anterior chamber.
Laser surgery:
Short-sightedness | Long-sightedness | Corneal irregularity | |
up to -8 dpt | up to +3 dpt | up to 3 dpt | |
up to -6 dpt | +3 dpt | up to 3 dpt |
Lens surgery:
Short-sightedness | Long-sightedness | Corneal irregularity | |
-6 to -20 dpt | +3 to +10 dpt | yes (for short-sightedness) | |
from -20 dpt | from +10 dpt | yes |
Combination of laser and lens surgery:
Short-sightedness | Long-sightedness | Corneal irregularity | |
for severely defective vision | |||
