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It occurs when the eyeball is slightly longer than normal or when the cornea is too curved. This causes light rays to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it.

Symptoms

• Difficulty seeing distant objects clearly (such as road signs or presentations)
• Eyestrain or headaches after focusing on faraway objects
• Needing to squint to see clearly
• Gradual worsening of distance vision over time

Treatments

Several laser vision correction procedures can effectively treat myopia by reshaping the cornea to refocus light properly onto the retina:

• LASIK: The most popular and precise procedure for myopia. It uses advanced laser technology to correct vision with a quick recovery time.
• PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy): A surface-based laser procedure, ideal for patients with thinner corneas or specific eye shapes.

It occurs when the eyeball is shorter than normal or the cornea is too flat, causing light to converge behind the retina instead of directly on it.

Symptoms

• Blurry vision at near tasks (reading, computer screen)
• Eyestrain, headaches after focusing on close objects
• Difficulty keeping reading materials in focus
• Frequent changes in glasses prescription for near vision

Treatments

Several laser vision correction procedures can effectively treat myopia by reshaping the cornea to refocus light properly onto the retina:

• Laser vision correction (such as LASIK or PRK) to reshape the cornea so the converging power is enhanced (central cornea is steepened).

Astigmatism is a refractive error caused when the cornea (or occasionally the lens) is irregularly shaped – more oval than perfectly spherical – so that light rays are focused at multiple points rather than precisely on the retina.

Symptoms

• Blurred or distorted vision at all distances
• Difficulty seeing fine detail or reading small print
• Frequent squinting, eye fatigue or headaches
• Vision may worsen in low light or at night

Treatments

• LASIK or PRK customized for astigmatism: the laser removes tissue in a directional (non-uniform) pattern to make the cornea more spherical.

Presbyopia is the progressive loss of the eye’s ability to focus on close objects, occurring typically in adulthood (around 40 – 45 years and beyond) as the natural lens loses flexibility. While standard LASIK corrects refractive errors, specific treatments (Laser PresbyVision^TM and RLE) are used at LASIK MD to address near vision loss and restore clarity from near to far distances.

Symptoms

• Need to hold reading materials further away to focus
• Blurred near vision while distance vision remains relatively clear
• Eye strain or headaches with reading or computer work
• Dependence on reading glasses or bifocals

Treatments

• Refractive Lens Exchange (clear lens replacement) may be considered in appropriate candidates.

A cataract is the clouding of the eye’s natural lens, leading to reduced vision and often occurring with ageing. By age 80, more than half of North Americans have developed or been treated for cataracts.

Symptoms

• Cloudy, foggy or blurry vision
• Colours appear faded or yellowed
• Glare from lights (headlights, lamps) or halos around lights
• Poor night vision
• Frequent changes in glasses or contact lens prescription

Treatments

• Cataract surgery (removal of the cloudy lens and replacement with an artificial intraocular lens, IOL) is the only effective treatment when vision impairment impacts quality of life.

Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease in which the normally round, dome-shaped cornea thins and begins to bulge into a cone-like shape, causing distorted vision.

Symptoms

• Distorted or blurry vision that worsens over time
• Increased sensitivity to glare and light
• Frequent changes in glasses prescription
• In advanced cases, sudden vision loss from corneal swelling (acute hydrops)

Treatments

• Corneal cross-linking (CXL) – a minimally invasive procedure that strengthens the cornea by “cross-linking” collagen fibres with riboflavin drops and UV light.
• CXL + topography-guided PRK (T-PRK) – combined treatment to both stabilize the cornea and improve vision by surface laser correction.