Short-sightedness - Treatment
Myopia can usually be corrected with glasses (spectacles)
or contact lenses. These cancel out the increased curvature
of your cornea or the increased length of your eye so that
distant objects no longer appear blurred.
Surgery to correct myopia is available. It works by altering
the shape of the cornea so that the eye focuses correctly.
The surgical procedures available are:
Laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) - a
small flap is made in the cornea, and a tiny piece of tissue
is removed with a laser. It is usually performed as an outpatient
procedure and takes about 15 minutes for each eye. Vision
may be hazy or blurry for a few days after surgery. This is
a relatively new treatment for myopia and the long-term safety
and effectiveness of the procedure has not been proved.
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) - a laser
is used to remove tissue from the cornea and reshape it. The
treatment may be painful for 48 hours afterwards and can only
be used to treat less severe myopia.
Radial keratotomy - a diamond-tipped scalpel
is used to make several tiny cuts in the cornea to flatten
it. The procedure is painless and takes about 15 minutes,
but can only be used to treat less severe myopia. Surgical
correction of myopia is rarely available on the NHS, and of
the three surgical methods only radial keratotomy is available.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
(NICE) has recommended that laser eye surgery should not be
routinely offered to patients on the NHS, as most people's
myopia can be easily corrected with spectacles or contact
lenses.
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