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Disclaimer

This website is only for basic information. It is not to be considered medical advice or a substitute for obtaining your own medical consultation, during which you will be informed also about possible risks, side effects and restrictions of refractive & cataract surgery. Not all treatment options are approved or offered in every country and approved labeling and instructions may vary from one country to another. This site is also not intended for patients and healthcare providers residing in the United States of America and Japan.

What’s astigmatism?

Can astigmatism be corrected?

Astigmatism is a common condition that causes blurred vision. It often occurs with other vision problems, such as near-sightedness (myopia). Although astigmatism can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, laser vision correction can be another option to provide a correction to astigmatism.

Facts and figures on astigmatism

Did you know that …
  • 40%

    If you are already wearing glasses or contacts, you have a 40% chance of having astigmatism too.

  • 10,000,000

    Over 10 million eyes have been successfully treated with ZEISS SMILE.

  • 67.2%

    The chance of having astigmatism increases as you age. While only 14.3% of people are affected at age 15 or under, incidents increase to 67.2% at age 65 or over.

How does astigmatism effect my vision?

Spotting the signs of astigmatism

Astigmatism causes refractive errors as either the cornea is shaped more oval like a rugby ball than round like a football, or the lens has mismatched curves. As a result, light is focused on more than one place at the back of your eye, causing blurred vision.

If you have astigmatism, you have probably found yourself squinting to try to see distant objects, read menus or use your smartphone. What’s more, you may experience headaches or eye strain when concentrating for longer periods, such as when driving or working with computer screens.

Astigmatism can also affect depth perception, making it difficult to judge how far objects are. And you may also see halos or glare when looking at lights, particularly at night. This could make driving in the dark problematic, especially when trying to deal with the glare from oncoming headlights.

If any of these situations are familiar, you should mention this to your doctor during your eye examination.

Astigmatism with myopia

What are my choices?

If you have an astigmatism with additional myopia, you may be wondering what options there are to improve your sight. With over 10 million eyes treated across the globe, ZEISS SMILE can also correct certain amounts of near-sightedness (myopia) at the same time as treating your astigmatism. Glasses and contact lenses which correct astigmatism are costly over time so ZEISS SMILE may actually save you money, while at the same time reducing or eliminating your dependency on corrective eyewear.

By correcting multiple vision issues in a single procedure, vision correction with ZEISS SMILE may be an affordable solution.

What if ZEISS SMILE is not an option?

Find out about alternatives from ZEISS

If ZEISS SMILE is not an option for you, you may still be able to benefit from laser vision correction. There are two alternatives, PRK and LASIK, which your doctor may consider. Both procedures have a proven track record of treating astigmatism with myopia or hyperopia.

If you have myopia, hyperopia or presbyopia, talk to your eye doctor about which ZEISS treatments are best for you.

Find a ZEISS SMILE centre near you

Providers offering the procedure with ZEISS SMILE

Uncertain about astigmatism? It’s always a good idea to talk to an eye doctor to see what laser vision correction options are best suited for you. Keep in mind, lenticule extraction with SMILE® is performed with VisuMax® from ZEISS. It features a femtosecond laser which produces very fast, short pulses from the infrared laser. And ZEISS SMILE is only used at centres that have invested in ZEISS VisuMax.

When discussing options with your surgeon, ask them what technology they will be using during your laser vision procedure. If you prefer to be treated with ZEISS SMILE, click here to find a provider using ZEISS technology.

Find a clinic or hospital near you

This might also interest you

Learn more about alternative laser vision correction solutions.

LASIK

PRK

Discover how laser eye surgeries compare

Treatment comparison

ZEISS SMILE laser vision correction

To find out more about ZEISS SMILE and your personal suitability, don’t hesitate to talk to an eye doctor that offers ZEISS SMILE.

Clinic Finder
  • 1

    This website is only for basic information. It is not to be considered medical advice or a substitute for obtaining your own medical consultation, during which you will be informed also about possible risks, side effects and restrictions of refractive & cataract surgery. Not all treatment options are approved or offered in every country and approved labeling and instructions may vary from one country to another. This site is also not intended for patients and healthcare providers residing in the United States of America and Japan.