Correcting other eye problems

Eyes lose their shape or flexibility over time, and although there is unlikely to be any option as perfect as your own youthful lens, ophthalmologists now have an arsenal of techniques to help you regain your vision. If you struggle to wear glasses or contact lenses, Lasik surgery, which uses a laser to reshape the cornea to better focus light, is probably the most common procedure to correct the likes of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. An older laser technique, PRK, is sometimes used when Lasik is unsuitable, and another, Smile, has been recently introduced. Implantable contact lenses might be appropriate, and these, which can be inserted at several points in the eye, come with a number of options, including multifocal versions (just like external contact lenses). Refractive lens exchange or clear lens extraction is much like a cataract operation, except that the lens being replaced is not yet cloudy. Factors such as your age, eye condition, the thickness of your cornea or the presence of cataracts will help your eye doctor decide what is best for you.