There are many techniques to improve one’s vision without glasses. It is necessary to have a thorough medical eye exam to determine which treatment is best for you. Here are the primary operations available to help decrease dependence on glasses:

Lens-based surgery: By removing the natural lens from the eye and replacing it with a new lens implant, most refractive errors can be corrected. The addition of the new presbyopia correcting lens has brought refractive lens exchange (RLE) to the fore. It is not necessary to wait until the natural lens becomes a cataract to remove and replace it if refractive surgery is desired.

Laser Vision Correction: Laser surgery is used to correct refractive visual errors by reshaping the cornea so that light is properly focused on the retina, located in the back of the eye. There are many types of laser eye surgeries, including LASIK, PRK, LASEK, and epi-LASIK. Refractive laser eye surgeries require healthy eyes that are free from retinal problems, corneal scars and any eye disease. While the results have been promising, there are possible side effects. It is very important that you explore all of the options before deciding if laser vision correction is right for you.

Incisional surgery: The first refractive operation to gain widespread application was Radial Keratotomy (RK). It has been substantially replaced by laser vision correction. On the other hand, Astigmatic Keratotomy (AK) remains an important method of treating astigmatism, whether at the time of cataract surgery or RLE, or as an independent procedure.

Conductive Keratoplasty (CK): This operation utilizes a microscopic probe powered by radio-frequency energy to change the shape of the cornea. CK is used to correct presbyopia and hyperopia. It can also be employed to diminish astigmatism. CK is capable of providing "blended vision" - better vision from distance to near with both eyes working together.