What are the most common eye procedures? Whether you want to correct nearsightedness without glasses or contact lenses or you have a cataract, take a look at the top reasons to visit the eye doctor for surgical treatment. 

Lasik Eye Surgery

Do you have a refractive error? A refractive error occurs when the eye doesn't bend light correctly. The result is blurry vision—commonly known as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. Glasses and contact lenses are the common treatments used to correct refractive errors. Even though these are easy and effective options, some people don't want the hassle of wearing glasses or don't feel comfortable using contact lenses. 

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), you are a good candidate for Lasik surgery if you are at least 18 years old, in the past year your glasses/contacts prescription hasn't changed much, you have thick and healthy corneas, you are in good eye health, and you have a refractive error that the doctor feels is treatable with this procedure.

Lasik uses a laser to reshape the cornea. This allows your eye to correctly focus light, giving you clearer or better vision. People who have extreme dry eye, a changing refractive error, thin corneas, corneal scars, a cone-shaped cornea, advanced glaucoma, uncontrolled diabetes, or some types of eye infections should not choose this type of eye surgery. 

Cataract Surgery

Do you have a cataract? This clouding of the eye's lens can make it difficult to see clearly. Over time, cataracts can impair your vision and make normal daily activities such as reading or driving a challenge. Corrective lenses (eyeglasses) can usually treat new cataracts. As cataracts grow, you may need surgery to see clearly again.

To surgically correct cataracts, the doctor will remove the lens of your eye. They will replace it with an artificial lens. This removes the cloudy part of your eye and restores your vision. 

Glaucoma Surgery

Glaucoma affects the optic nerve. This group of eye conditions happens as a result of damage to the eye's nerve and is most common in older adults. There are several types of glaucoma, including open-angle, acute angle-closure, normal-tension, and pigmentary glaucoma. If eye drops and other medications fail to treat this problem, you have surgical options.

Surgery for glaucoma includes laser therapy, a trabeculectomy (filtering surgery), minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, or drainage tubes. The type of surgery you need depends on the type of glaucoma, your eye health, your overall health, and the eye doctor's recommendations.

Make an appointment with an eye doctor to learn more.