Laser eye surgery can treat many forms of regular astigmatism and is commonly used to reduce or remove astigmatic prescriptions.
When astigmatism is suitable
Regular, symmetric astigmatism can usually be incorporated into the laser pattern, correcting both sphere and cylinder together.
- Consistent cylinder values on your glasses and repeated measurements
- Topography showing a regular bow-tie pattern rather than distorted maps
- Corneal thickness sufficient to treat combined myopia/hyperopia and astigmatism
- No signs of keratoconus or ectasia-prone corneas
- Expectations that small residual astigmatism may still require thin glasses occasionally
When astigmatism needs caution
Irregular or unstable astigmatism may signal underlying corneal disease, where tissue-removing laser is unsafe.
- Asymmetric or highly irregular topography suggesting early ectasia
- History of corneal scarring, infection, or surgery
- Marked difference in astigmatism between eyes
- Consideration of cross-linking, specialist lenses, or other options instead
- Thorough evaluation by a refractive surgeon experienced in corneal diagnostics
