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Nearsightedness

Nearsightedness (myopia) is a very common vision problem. A myopic person sees correctly up close but sees blurry from afar without glasses. Myopia is the most common visual disorder.

If the eye is too long or the cornea is too rounded, the light rays converge at a focal point in front of the retina. This results in blurred distance vision without glasses. If you are nearsighted and you remove your glasses, your vision will be better up close and you will have difficulty distinguishing distant objects.

Myopia can also be caused by the focal length of your eye’s natural lens, the crystalline lens. If your lens is too powerful, it will result in a point of focus in front of the retina.

Globally, nearsightedness is estimated to affect nearly 30% of the population.

Myopia

What are my corrections options?

The correction of myopia can be done in two ways. For the youngest, nearsightedness is corrected by refractive laser surgery (LASIK). The laser is used to flatten the curvature of the cornea by spraying layers of cells mainly in it’s center. The size of the treatment area is chosen beforehand by the ophthalmologist. Laser surgery is an effective correction option for myopia until the onset of presbyopia in the early fifties, when wearing glasses will once again become necessary to read well up close.

The second option for correcting myopia is through lens replacement surgery. This surgery is most often reserved for patients who are over the age of fifty. During this intervention, the lens of the eye is replaced by an intraocular lens which makes it possible to correct the correct nearsightedness with the right diopter. There are several types of intraocular lenses to offer different results according to patients’ occupations and lifestyles.

The preoperative evaluation made by our team of optometrists and opticians will allow you to know if you are a candidate for ULTRALASIK surgery or for lens replacement surgery.

 

There are different options for correcting myopia. See our types of surgeries according to your age group under the general explanations section.

Download our surgery information guides

Frequently asked questions

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%.

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