Refractive Error Treatment

In Oklahoma City and Edmond, Oklahoma

 

Refractive error – myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism –  doesn’t have to mean dependence on glasses or contacts. At Hummel Eye Associates in Oklahoma City we have been treating refractive error of all kinds for many years. LASIK is the most popular method. But  if LASIK is not appropriate for your unique situation, there are other procedures which can help you see your best.

 

What is refractive error?

Refraction means bending waves of light. When light rays enter the eye, they are bent twice: first by the cornea (clear front part of the eye), and then again by the lens, which sits behind the cornea and in front of the main interior part of the eye.

 

The cornea does about 60% of the refraction and the lens completes it. In a 20/20 eye, the light rays are bent at exactly the right angle so that they focus properly on the retina in the back of the eye. The retina is is full of light-sensitive cells. It converts the information carried by the lays of light into neural energy. The optic nerve, which connects the retina to the brain, carries the information to the brain’s vision center, and the brain interprets it.

 

In a myopic eye, the light rays coming from distant objects don’t focus on the retina, they land in front of it. That means a blurry image is sent to the brain.
In a hyperopic eye, the light rays coming from close-up objects focus behind the retina. So again a blurry image is sent to the brain.

In an astigmatic eye, the light rays focus in more than one place, usually two. That’s because an astigmatic eye is oval-shaped rather than round, so it has two curvatures. Again, a blurry image is sent to the brain.

 

How LASIK works

Dr Hummel creates a thin flap is  on the corneal surface. It gives access to the next layer down, the stroma. The LASIK laser sculpts this layer of the stroma, according to your pre-determined treatment plan. This corrects the curvature of the cornea, which then refracts light differently. Now it focuses on the retina and you can see clearly. The flap is repositioned and seals itself easily.

More details on the LASIK page

 

PRK
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is an older procedure than LASIK. If you are not a good candidate for LASIK surgery, PRK may  be an option to correct your refractive error,.. PRK  differs from LASIK in that no flap is created  on the corneal surface. Instead, a small amount of surface tissue is completely removed, and after treatment, must grow back. That requires a longer recovery time, but the outcome in your visual improvement is similar to LASIK.

 

Learn more by reading our PRK page

 

Clear Lens Exchange
Clear Lens Exchange (CLE) removes the natural lens of your eye and replaces it with an intraocular lens (IOL). It can be an alternative to LASIK, because an IOL of the right power, can correct myopia and hyperopia. an IOL alone won’t correct astigmatism, so you might need additional treatment to correct all the astigmatism.

 

With an IOL, you know you’ll never develop cataracts, because they can’t form in an artificial lens.

 

An IOL can correct presbyopia and you can read more about CLE on our CLE page.

 

Refractive surgery history
The refractive surgery performed at Hummel Eye Associates includes the most advanced vision correction techniques available today, and  is the culmination of hundreds of years of discovery, experimentation, and honing of the art of eye surgery.

 

More information on our Refractive Surgery History page.

 

Hummel Eye Associates has been helping Oklahomans see their best for over 35 years. If you wear corrective lenses for myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism, refractive surgery may be the solution for you. Contact us today and schedule your free initial consultation.

 

(405)755-6111
Hummel Eye Associates
See Your Best…See Hummel!
4205 McAuley Blvd. #401
Oklahoma City, OK 73120
(405)755-6298