Candidates for LASIK are patients who have myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and asitgmatism. Further evaluation by your ophthalmologist determines complete candidacy.

Nearsightedness:
A condition in which light rays are focused in front of the retina resulting in blurry images at distance. The laser concentrates on the peripheral cornea to help steepen the cornea therefore focusing incoming light directly on the retina.

Farsightedness:
A condition in which light rays are focused behind the retina resulting in blurry images at near. The laser concentrates on the central cornea to flatten it therefore placing light rays directly on the retina.

Astigmatism:
A condition in which light rays are focused in several different areas on the retina. Your cornea is shaped more like a football than spherical like a basketball. Astigmatism requires the laser to make the cornea more spherical by changing the pattern of the beam and removing tissue in one direction more than the other.

Information provided by: Magruder Eye Institute