This Publication Is Searchable The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Section 8. Ophthalmologic Disorders Chapter 102. The goal of refractive surgery is to decrease one's dependence on glasses or contact lenses. Most people who have undergone refractive surgery have found that their need to wear contact lenses or glasses has been greatly diminished or eliminated. Refractive surgery alters the curvature of the cornea to allow light rays to come to focus closer to the retina, thus improving uncorrected vision.
Preoperative examination excludes people with active ocular infection or inflammation.
Candidates should not have a history of autoimmune or collagen vascular disease because of potential problems with wound healing. Latent herpes simplex virus may become reactivated after surgery, thus patients should be advised accordingly. 18 yr of age. People who tend to form keloids are discouraged from having refractive surgery because of the potential for increased scar tissue and haze formation in the cornea. Patient motivation is essential, because although the risks of surgery are low, they do exist.