Astigmatism is a very common vision problem. Despite having a somewhat scary-sounding name, astigmatism is not an eye disease and most people have at least a mild form of this condition.
But when it begins to cause blurred vision all the time whether you’re reading a book or gazing at a sunset it’s time to think about your options for a better quality of life.
Astigmatism typically is caused by the front surface of the eye (cornea) having an asymmetrical shape. An analogy that's often used to describe this is to say the cornea is shaped like an American football rather than like a baseball.
Although it may sound like eye disease, astigmatism is actually a refractive error like being farsighted or near sighted. The condition can be addressed with special glasses and contacts that correct the differences in vision across the eye. LASIK surgery is also an increasingly popular and more permanent option.
LASIK is an effective and affordable option for most adults with astigmatism. Before the surgery, your doctor will carefully measure the curvature and health of the cornea to assess the extent of your condition. The procedure then uses advanced lasers to precisely reshape your cornea, and give you lasting results.
If you have high astigmatism, this may affect you LASIK surgery cost, depending on the policies of the LASIK surgeon and/or surgery center you choose. If so, this will be discussed with you during your preoperative exam and consultation.