Refractive surgery refers to the treatment of eyes that suffer from refractive problems. People that are short sighted or long sighted have refractive problems and this means that viewing things far away or viewing things very close up can be difficult. The good news is that there is laser eye treatment available that can correct these refractive problems and restore sight to as it should be. Those who suffer from myopia (shortsightedness) can have their cornea flattened slightly, and anyone with farsightedness can have the curve of their cornea slightly steepened during laser vision surgery.

Many people who wear glasses or contact lenses are unaware that there is laser treatment available that can remove their eye problems altogether. The glasses can be got rid of with a simple surgery. There are many conditions that refractive surgery can help. A refractive lens exchange is another common procedure that can help many people have their sight restored. Over time the lens of the eye become hardened, and when it does it can affect sight. A refractive lens exchange removes the hardened lens and replaces it with a new one, customised to the individual's needs. It can correct longsightedness or shortsightedness at the same time. Another benefit of a refractive lens exchange is that you will never develop cataracts in later life, as these only occur in natural lenses and can't in artificial ones.

There are different type of laser vision correction surgery. Lasek surgery is suitable for less serious problems or for people with thin corneas. If only a slight refractive problem exists then the eye doctor may prescribe this treatment. There is also lasik surgery available. This is for more serious conditions of the eye. There are many different types of lasik surgery too. Advanced surface ablation reshapes the cornea, but it does without making a flap and lifting it. This is only carried out in a rare number of cases because it is quite advanced and can take longer to heal too. Usually laser eye surgery can see someone back at work just a day or two later, but with ASA it may be a week or two before the eyes have healed completely.

Blended vision is also a type of lasik surgery and this treats the two eyes for separate refractive problems. The left may need treatment for myopia, whilst the right may need vision correction for longsightedness. Usually an incision is made and then a flap is folded back in order for the lasers to reach the cornea. When a laser is used to make the incision then this type of lasik surgery is called an IntraLasik. Using a laser in this way is a little more time consuming but the incision is neater and thinner. There is also a custom type of lasik eye surgery known as wavefront. This is a tailor made procedure per individual. The whole procedure begins by taking a 3D map of the eye. From here the map can be compared to a perfectly healthy and working eye so the surgeon or doctor can choose the most appropriate treatment.

With the advancement of laser eye surgery, now a whole host of problems and conditions can be treated easily and successfully. Glasses wearers may be rid of their glasses for good with refractive surgery. There are many different types of laser eye surgery including lasik eyes surgery and a refractive lens exchange. Your eye doctor will be able to advise you on what the most appropriate treatment would be. Laser eye surgery can also be used to treat problems with the eye such as cataracts, glaucoma and even macular degeneration. Sometimes these conditions can cause blindness if not treated to regular check ups with the eye doctor are vital.