A Review of Refractive Surgery

Abstract

Refractive surgery has become the most rapidly developing field in ophthalmology over the last two decades. Several modern refractive procedures have become available over the last 10 years including phakic intraocular lenses (pIOLs), epithelial laser-assistedin situkeratomileusis (epi-LASIK), wavefront-guided (WG) laser treatments and a few others. Laser and non-laser refractive surgical procedures are currently used to address refractive errors. No single procedure works best for everyone; each one has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Careful patient selection is the key for optimum visual outcomes. Treatment algorithms have been refined over the years, improving accuracy. Laser technology and delivery platforms are under continuous improvement, leading to increasingly precise results. Further modifications and refinements are ongoing, offering expanding surgical options in this rapidly evolving field.