M.D. Surgical procedures now make it possible to permanently eliminate or significantly reduce the need to wear glasses or contact lenses, even for people with very large refractive errors that require thick lenses. Appropriate surgery can modify the eye to enable light rays to converge properly on the retina.
Various operations can reduce or correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
In this operation, incisions made in the outer part of the cornea cause the central part of the cornea to flatten. This can correct a mild degree of nearsightedness. Initially, even though the procedure looked promising, many eye surgeons cautioned that there were no long-term data showing that the procedure was safe and likely to improve vision permanently. Many authorities also objected to the idea of operating on healthy eyes when the use of eyeglasses or contact lenses could enable them to see adequately. In most cases, this diminished as time went on.