You only get one set of eyes, so it’s exciting to hear when advancements in eye surgery have been made. Not only do these advancements allow us to protect and preserve eyesight, but also they make the surgical process less invasive.

Let’s take a look at four amazing advancements in eye surgery and how they may impact your eye health one day.

1. More options for people who wear corrective lenses or glasses.

If you wear glasses or contacts and wish you didn’t have to, you’ll be pleased to know that you now have more options than ever before. Refractive surgery is a method for correcting your vision, and it can fix problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism or presbyopia. The surgical procedure varies depending on the problem, but the goal is to reshape and smooth the cornea for clearer vision.  

2. Integration of 3D and lasers for cataract surgery.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a type of 3D imaging that allows the smallest inner structures of the eye to be seen and measured. Though OCT was developed over 10 years ago, the marriage between that and lasers is brand new. To use the technology, an ophthalmologist places a device on the eye that sends a 3D image to the screen. This helps the surgeon know where to make incisions to remove cataracts.

3. Laser technology for glaucoma surgery.

The purpose of glaucoma surgery is to decrease the production of intraocular fluid or increase the drainage of the fluid. The surgery can even accomplish both. New advancements are being made in glaucoma surgery, including the procedure selective laser trabeculoplasty. This procedure creates minimal heat damage to the surrounding tissue so that it can be repeated as necessary.

4. Wavefront (Custom LASIK) shows smallest abnormalities.

Wavefront is an improved technique for correcting vision, and it’s sometimes referred to as Custom LASIK. What makes this technology improved is that it shapes the cornea in a more accurate manner. A light wave is projected through the eye so that it can be reflected, showing the tiniest abnormalities. In the past, eye surgeons weren’t able to detect these aberrations, and now that they can, corrective eye surgery can be most efficient.

If you are ever faced with the need to have eye surgery, it’s reassuring to know that advancements are continually being made to make these procedures more comfortable, less invasive and most effective.