What is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a condition of where the front surface of the eye, called the cornea, is irregularly shaped. Your cornea should be sphere-shaped like a football; people with astigmatism have an oblong cornea, like a rugby ball.

One half of the curve is flatter than it should be, so that when rays of light enter the eye, they don’t all focus correctly on the retina at the back of the eye. This causes the image you see to be blurred.

The cornea protects your eye from damage and infection, as well as transmitting and focusing the light into the eye, but it must have a perfect curve to bend (or refract) light onto the retina. If the curve isn’t right, you’ll experience vision difficulties.

As with many eye conditions, astigmatism is fairly common. Its usually congenital-present at birth-but can sometimes develop after you’ve had an injury to your eye. It belongs to a group of eye conditions called refractive errors, all of which cause blurring of images at some level.

Optilase Laser Eye Clinics have perfected the technique of using cool beam laser, called ‘Excimer’, to gently reshape the cornea. The whole procedure only takes a few minutes to complete, and the results can be life-changing.

The benefits are immediate and recovery time is swift. From the moment you step into the clinic, the Optilase Laser Eye experts will tailor your entire experience so you’re correctly assessed, treated and cared for. They’ll answer all your questions and your surgeon will have an extensive consultation with you, addressing any concerns you may have.

On the day of your surgery, you’ll be in the care of the whole Optilase surgery team, including your Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Surgery Nurses, Laser Technician and Support Staff. They will ask you to bring a friend or family member with you, and after your procedure you will receive complete aftercare support, with a comprehensive program of follow up care including post operative visits.