Types of Eye Surgery: What You Need to Know

Posted June 6, 2023 by in Health + Fitness

Do you have any idea what types of eye surgery you need? Although a trip to the doctor can make a person anxious, don’t let your fear get the best of you. You may only need a minor eye procedure. However, if your eye health is compromised, you may need a major operation for vision correction.

Have no fear. Here are the various ways doctors fix eyes.

Refractive Surgery

Refractive Surgery is a type of eye surgery that can improve vision by reshaping the cornea and reducing or even eliminating the need for glasses or contact lenses. Examples of Refractive Surgery include Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK), Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), and Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICL).

During the Refractive Surgery procedure, the vision care professional will then address the cornea’s shape using laser technology or other methods, reducing the error in focusing action and promoting better vision. Refractive Surgery can improve vision, in most cases even reaching 20/20 or better.

Glaucoma Surgery

Glaucoma surgery is used to treat glaucoma, a condition that increases pressure in the eye and can damage the optic nerve. Depending on the patient’s specific circumstances, a number of different types of glaucoma surgery may be required.

In serious cases, more complex surgeries such as deep sclerectomy or canaloplasty may be needed. Whatever the glaucoma surgery approach, expertise and accuracy are crucial to achieving the desired outcome.

Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is a highly successful procedure used to treat and remove the clouded lenses in your eyes. During cataract surgery, the affected eye lens is replaced with a clear intraocular lens (IOL). This restores your sight and prevents any further deterioration of your vision.

Phacoemulsification is the most commonly used procedure and involves using high-energy ultrasound waves to break up the clouded lens into tiny pieces, which are then suctioned out of the eye. Extracapsular surgery is a more traditional approach involving the creation of a larger incision in the eye and is mostly performed if the cataract is too advanced for Phacoemulsification. 

Retinal Surgery

 Retinal Surgery is a type of eye surgery used to treat diseases of the eye retina problems as well as certain types of vision impairment. It is typically used to address issues such as retinal detachment, macular holes, macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusions, and age-related macular degeneration in order to improve vision and stop further damage to the retina.

The surgery usually involves using a laser to target the damaged tissue or remove any membranes or scar tissue blocking the retina’s surface. Other more invasive procedures may involve cutting open the eye to target specific areas or using cryopexy to freeze and seals the leaking retinal blood vessels.

Lasik Surgery

LASIK surgery, or laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, is a type of eye surgery that uses a laser to reshape the eye’s corneal tissue in order to correct common vision problems.

The procedure can correct common vision problems such as myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), and astigmatism (irregularly shaped cornea) to improve vision. For those that do not like or cannot wear glasses or contact lenses, LASIK at Kelly Laser is a good option.


Eye surgery is an important field that can have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life. There are different types of eye surgery available depending on the need and complexity of the procedure. 

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