Can children with astigmatism undergo laser surgery?

Written by Li Zhuo
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 11, 2024
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Firstly, laser surgery is generally performed after the age of 18, as people's eyes continue to grow. This means that just like when a person stops growing taller, the eyes also stop growing at a certain age. If laser surgery is performed too early, while the eyes are still growing, the results may regress over time.

Therefore, astigmatism in children should only be addressed after they reach adulthood, usually after the age of 18, but we generally recommend waiting until after the age of 21. Additionally, if the progression of the eye prescription is less than 50 to 100 degrees per year, the surgery outcomes are more likely to be stable. Generally, laser surgery is primarily used for myopia, which pertains to issues with seeing distant scenes, whereas astigmatism, which generally affects horizontal vision, is usually not corrected through laser surgery.

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Do you need to wear glasses long-term if you have more than 200 degrees of astigmatism?

Patients with astigmatism of more than 200 degrees generally need to wear glasses long-term. Astigmatism of over 200 degrees is considered moderate and can significantly affect vision. If glasses are not worn to correct this, the patient's unaided vision is usually poor, causing blurriness and inconvenience in work and daily life. Additionally, prolonged unclear vision can easily lead to eye strain, and may even cause symptoms such as eye soreness, dizziness, and headaches. Astigmatism can be diagnosed through an optometric examination, which will determine the specific degree of astigmatism and its axis. Glasses can then be prescribed to correct it. If the patient is an adult who does not wish to wear glasses, laser surgery or the implantation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens can also be considered as treatment options.

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Can contact lenses correct astigmatism?

Contact lenses can be prescribed with a certain degree of astigmatism correction. If the astigmatism is less than 100 degrees, it can be converted into half of the spherical degree to create a prescription, and standard contact lenses can be worn to see clearly. If the astigmatism is greater than 100 degrees but less than 300 degrees, it is necessary to first prescribe sufficient spherical degree, then determine the astigmatism's axis and degree, and manufacture special astigmatic contact lenses. Wearing these can be more comfortable and provide clearer vision. Generally, very high degrees of astigmatism cannot be corrected with contact lenses, and wearing frame glasses is required instead.

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Can astigmatism and strabismus be corrected?

Astigmatism and strabismus can sometimes be corrected, depending on their severity. Astigmatism refers to the condition where parallel light rays entering the eye cannot focus on a single point on the retina after being refracted by the eye's optical system, instead forming two focal lines, ultimately failing to produce a clear image on the retina. Astigmatism can be categorized into regular and irregular types. Regular astigmatism can be corrected with cylindrical lenses in eyeglasses; while irregular astigmatism generally requires correction with contact lenses. Additionally, after reaching 18 years of age, astigmatism can also be corrected through refractive surgery. Generally, mild astigmatism does not impact vision and does not require special treatment; however, moderate to severe astigmatism, if uncorrected, might lead to amblyopia and other vision impairments. Strabismus means that when one eye is focusing, the visual axis of the other eye deviates from being parallel, presenting an abnormal eye position. It is generally recommended to start treatment immediately after diagnosing strabismus. If there is significant refractive error, glasses should be prescribed first. If glasses cannot correct the condition, surgery might be necessary.

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Can astigmatism wear orthokeratology lenses?

Astigmatism below 300 degrees generally can be corrected with orthokeratology (OK) lenses. Astigmatism is a type of refractive error where the eye has different refractive powers in different meridians, causing parallel light rays passing through the eye's refractive system to refract improperly and form two focal lines instead of a single focal point on the retina, resulting in a blurred image. Astigmatism can be categorized into regular astigmatism and irregular astigmatism. Regular astigmatism can be corrected using cylindrical lenses or glasses, while irregular astigmatism may require correction with corneal contact lenses, OK lenses, or surgical correction. Common symptoms of astigmatism include blurred vision, reduced visual acuity, and easy eye fatigue, and sometimes may also present with symptoms such as head tilting and headaches. Therefore, it is advisable to seek consultation in the ophthalmology refractive department if astigmatism symptoms appear.

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Can myopia surgery correct astigmatism?

Myopia surgery can also remove astigmatism. Both myopia and astigmatism are common ophthalmological diseases, and they are different types of refractive errors that can occur simultaneously. Currently, there are various surgical methods to correct myopia, such as excimer laser surgery, full femtosecond laser surgery, half femtosecond laser surgery, and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation for phakic eyes. Whatever the type of surgery mentioned, it can correct and treat myopia while simultaneously removing the patient's astigmatism. Prior to surgery, a detailed optometric examination and ocular examination are required. Based on the patient's eye condition and specific degrees of myopia and astigmatism, a corresponding surgical plan is designed.