Astigmatism is an optical distortion that causes images to be elongated in one direction and shortened in the other. Many think that El Greco, the famous artist may have had uncorrected astigmatism since he drew everything elongated vertically. There are several methods of reducing or eliminating astigmatism as well as other visual
distortions. Small incisions can be made with a very precise diamond knife at the edges of the cornea right in our office. These relaxing incisions are very effective for low to moderate astigmatism control. For more severe astigmatism, an implantable toric lens may be the better option (this requires removal of the natural lens). Improving your vision and maintaining it for the duration of your life is always our goal at Southwest Virginia Eye Center.
There are many other types of optical distortions that we are now begining to reconize and for some, we have some very new solutions using either special lens implants or customized wave-front guided lasik surgery. Going beyond 20/20 vision is now becoming a reality for many.