Imagine getting up in the morning and seeing the alarm clock without
pulling it to your nose. Imagine getting dressed or going to bed
without the bathroom rituals of putting in or taking out and cleaning
contact lenses. Imagine playing tennis or golf without interference
from your glasses or contacts. Imagine how your view of the world
would change and how the world would view you without glasses or
contacts.

Seventy-five million people woke up this morning reaching for their
eyeglasses, or squinting to see without their contact lenses. But more
than a million people each year give up this daily struggle, and make
the decision to have laser vision correction.

Interest in laser vision correction has skyrocketed over the past few
years. High profile athletes, as well as actors, politicians and
professionals, and people from all walks of life are experiencing the
thrill of waking up to their world in focus.

Clear vision is the result of light entering the cornea (clear window
of the eye), passing through the lens inside the eye and coming to a
single point of focus on the retina. The most common types of visual
distortions are nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
Doctors call these types of visual distortions “lower order
aberrations.” They are responsible for approximately 85% to 90% of the
quality of your vision.

Nearsightedness occurs when the cornea is too steep of the eye is to
long. This causes light rays entering the point of focus before they
reach the retina. People who are nearsighted have difficulty seeing
distant objects.

Farsightedness occurs when the cornea is too flat or the eye is too
short. This prevents light rays entering the eye from bending enough
to come to a point of focus on the retina. People who are young and
farsighted can often see at a distance but have difficulty seeing close
objects.

Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is shaped like a football, steep in
one direction and flat in the other direction. This causes light rays
entering the eye to focus in multiple points within the eye, meaning
double and/or blurred vision. People who are nearsighted or farsighted
also commonly have astigmatism.

LASIK Frequently Asked Questions