Astigmatism
Millions of people have astigmatism, a condition which typically affects the cornea of the eye and causes blurry vision and distortion. In a normal eye, the cornea is round; however, an eye affected by astigmatism has an oblong, uneven curvature – similar to the shape of a football. This often causes light to not focus properly on the retina, making objects appear blurry. Our board-certified ophthalmologists—Dr. Michael Sumsion and Dr. Sean Sumsion—offer state-of-the-art treatments for astigmatism that can correct the problem and significantly improve your vision. For patients who have cataracts in addition to astigmatism, our ophthalmologists can remove the cataract and perform the astigmatism correction in the same procedure.
Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI)
Limbal Relaxing Incisions, or LRIs, can be used to treat minor astigmatism. The procedure involves the creation of small incisions around the iris to help the cornea reshape itself into a rounder curvature. LRI’s are often performed after cataract removal to reduce astigmatism and improve vision.
What to Expect
- Length of Procedure: The exact length of time for astigmatism correction will depend on your unique needs, and whether you are combining astigmatism treatment with cataract surgery. LRIs can take as little as five minutes; while cataract surgery typically takes under 25 minutes.
- Who will perform my procedure?: Drs. Michael and Sean Sumsion, our experienced board-certified ophthalmologists, perform all surgical procedures
- How long will I need for recovery?: Recovery time will depend on the type of procedure you undergo; however, many patients are able to resume normal daily routines within about one day.
- Results: Our advanced astigmatism treatments can help you significantly reduce blurriness and visual distortion caused by this common condition. Results should be noticeable after one to two days, once the eye has been given enough time to heal from surgery.
Contact Riverside EyeCare Professionals
If you would like to learn more about treatments for astigmatism, or if you would like to schedule a consultation with one of our ophthalmologists, please contact Riverside EyeCare Professionals.