Myopia at a Glance
Myopia is a very common vision problem. A person with myopia can see clearly up close, but objects in the distance appear blurry without glasses. It is the most common vision disorder.
If the eye is too long or the cornea is too curved, light rays converge at a focal point in front of the retina. The result is blurry distance vision without glasses. If you are nearsighted and remove your glasses, your near vision will be better, while distant objects will be harder to distinguish.
Myopia can also be caused by the focal length of the eye’s natural lens, the crystalline lens. If the crystalline lens is too powerful, the focal point will also fall in front of the retina.
Worldwide, myopia is estimated to affect nearly 30% of the population.
What are the correction options?
Laser Corneal Surgery
Laser eye surgery is an effective correction option for myopia until the onset of presbyopia, typically in your forties, when reading glasses usually become necessary again for clear near vision.
Lens replacement surgery
This procedure is generally recommended for patients over the age of 50.
The evaluation
The pre-operative evaluation performed by our team of optometrists and opticians will determine whether you are a candidate for laser vision correction or lens replacement surgery.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Myopie
What causes myopia?
Research suggests that myopia is possibly caused by a combination of two factors: genetics and environmental factors.
There would be many cases of heredity with regard to myopia. On the other hand, heredity alone is not able to explain the expansion of myopia in the population.
Then come the environmental factors. For example, long hours spent in front of screens would increase the risk of developing nearsightedness. Spending less time outdoors, having less sunlight exposure reduces the amount of dopamine secreted, a hormone that prevents the overgrowth of the eye.
When does myopia appear?
Myopia usually develops during our young age and it does so gradually. It is not uncommon for children to become nearsighted without their knowledge. Myopia can progress from year to year until early adulthood.
How can I permanently correct myopia?
Myopia can be corrected by two types of surgery.
By LASIK surgery for younger patients (usually 18 – 40 years old). This very fast and precise surgery makes it possible to flatten the curvature of the cornea and to move back the focal point to direct it precisely on the retina. For laser surgery, both eyes are often operated on the same day.
Another alternative for patients who also have symptoms of presbyopia in addition to their myopia would be intraocular lens surgery. This surgery corrects myopia by also replacing the culprit of presbyopia: your lens. A lens adapted to your eye is chosen to allow you to see well near, far or near and far at the same time. It is possible to operate on both eyes on the same day if there are no contraindications.
What are the consequences of overcorrection of myopia?
Although overcorrections are rare due to assessments by trained professionals and an ultra-precise laser, a slight overcorrection could make your eye hyperopic. Hyperopia is the opposite of myopia. During the evaluation, you will be advised of your chances of having a second intervention. At our clinic, the rate of retouching is around 1%.
Can my myopia come back?
One of the conditions for being eligible for laser surgery is having stable vision for at least two years. If your vision is stable, then in principle, myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism should not return.
However, if a decrease in vision is noticed after the initial procedure, a retreatment may be possible. Within the first six months following the procedure, this decrease is often related to the surgery itself. If it occurs more than six months after the procedure, the decrease may be related to how the eye has healed.
In either case, postoperative follow-up exams allow us to assess the results of your procedure. These follow-ups and any enhancements are included for two years.
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