Can You Get LASIK Surgery if You Have Astigmatism?

LASIK is a successful treatment for astigmatism, as long as it is the right type and within the limits of treatment. Learn more about laser eye surgery and how it can help correct mild to moderate astigmatism.

Can You Get LASIK Surgery if You Have Astigmatism?

LASIK is a successful treatment for astigmatism, as long as it is the right type and within the limits of treatment.

LASIK

is suitable for people who have nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, and who have a stable vision prescription, are in good general health, and have no other eye problems. It can also correct up to 6.00 diopters of astigmatism. However, if you are also nearsighted or farsighted, you may not be able to get as much correction.

Astigmatism is an eye condition in which the cornea (transparent window on the front of the eye) has two different curvatures (much like those of an American football cut in half), so that instead of being a single focal point, they end up being two different focal points, none of which are in focus. Generally speaking, the change in prescription must be significant to be a disqualification for LASIK surgery. Laser vision correction can be used if you have astigmatism with or without myopia or farsightedness. It is ideal for people with astigmatism, as well as for people with myopia or hyperopia. This is useful because the surgeons in these networks have been screened and approved by the insurance company to provide comprehensive LASIK treatment to correct astigmatism.

It means that the curvature of the cornea (corneal astigmatism) or of the lens (lenticular astigmatism) of the eye is irregular, making objects appear blurry. Of course, you must be a candidate for LASIK in general in order to be a candidate for LASIK treatment for astigmatism. There is a common misconception that astigmatism rules out LASIK as an option, but in reality, people with mild to moderate astigmatism may be candidates for the procedure. Unlike glasses or contact lenses, which only treat astigmatism so that you can see clearly with assistive devices, laser eye surgery is the only treatment that can resolve astigmatism and you will no longer need eyeglasses or contact lenses. LASIK (laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis) is an FDA-approved laser eye surgery that corrects mild to moderate astigmatism by remodeling the cornea.

It is designed to correct refractive errors that cause farsightedness (farsightedness), myopia (myopia) and astigmatism.