Refractive errors prevent your eyes from seeing clearly without glasses or contact lenses

Refractive surgery can change the shape of your cornea so that light focuses on your retina for clear vision without glasses or contacts.

Your eyesight doesn’t focus light properly

Refractive surgery can change the shape of your cornea so that light focuses on your retina for clear vision without glasses or contacts.

Fix your short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism, and enjoy freedom from glasses and contact lenses

Quickly discover more about refractive errors and how we treat them with eye surgery

Refractive errors - what are they?

Refractive error means that the shape of your eye does not bend light correctly, resulting in a blurred image.

The main types of refractive errors are myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness), presbyopia (loss of near vision with age), and astigmatism.

What are the symptoms?
  • Blurred vision
  • Difficulty reading or seeing up close
  • Crossing of the eyes in children (esotropia)

What causes refractive errors?

We’ve described the causes of the main types of refractive error below:

Myopia

Also known as short-sightedness, this eye condition is where close objects are clear, and distant objects are blurry.

Myopia is usually inherited and often discovered in childhood. Myopia often progresses throughout the teenage years when the body is growing rapidly.

People with high degrees of myopia have a higher risk of retinal detachment, which may require surgical repair.

Hyperopia

Also known as long-sightedness, hyperopia is when close objects are more blurry than distant objects. It’s also inherited.

Children often have hyperopia, which may lessen in adulthood. In mild hyperopia, the distance vision is clear while near vision is blurry. In more advanced hyperopia, vision can be blurred at all distances.

Presbyopia

After the age of 40, ageing of the eye occurs, this ageing process is called presbyopia, whereby the lens of the eye becomes more rigid and does not flex as easily.

As a result, the eye loses its focusing ability, becoming more difficult to read at close range. This normal ageing process of the lens can also be combined with myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism usually occurs when the front surface of the eye, the cornea, has an asymmetric curvature. Normally the cornea is smooth and equally curved in all directions. As a result, light entering the cornea is focused equally in all directions.

For astigmatism sufferers, the cornea’s front surface is curved more in one direction than in another. This abnormality may result in vision that is much like looking into a distorted, wavy mirror. Usually, astigmatism causes blurred vision at all distances.

We can diagnose a refractive error by routine eye examination. Testing usually involves asking the patient to read a vision chart while testing an assortment of lenses to maximise a patient’s vision. Special imaging or other testing is rarely necessary.

We commonly treat refractive disorders using corrective lenses, such as eyeglasses or contact lenses. We can also use refractive surgery (such as LASIK) to correct some refractive disorders.

In the absence of any other refractive error, we can sometimes treat presbyopia with over-the-counter reading glasses. Unfortunately, there is no way to slow down or reverse presbyopia.

You’re just one step away from enjoying a fuller, more enriched life without glasses or contact lenses.

Say goodbye to tiresome visual aids with a suitability assessment in your local area. It really couldn’t be easier.

Do your glasses and contact lenses get in your way?

Learn more about vision correction surgery

You don’t want wear glasses or contact lenses

If you feel encumbered by needing glasses or contact lenses, then laser eye surgery might suit you. We offer all-laser LASIK and PRK.
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You don’t want to wear reading glasses

If you’re over 50 and want to see clearly at close and distant objects, lens eye surgery might be for you. We offer lens replacement with premium IOLs.
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You have a high prescription and are not suitable for laser eye surgery

If you’re not a candidate for laser, we offer Implantable Contact Lenses (ICLs) as an ideal option to get out of glasses and contact lenses.
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Thousands of happy patients gain freedom from cataracts, glasses and eye conditions

“I found the service I received from Dr. Elalfy very good, having experienced problems with surgery elsewhere, he sorted out those problems and reassured me to go on and complete my treatment. A lovely person with a very high skill set in optical surgery.”

Ms A.A.

“Fantastic impression and support from the first meeting. Excellent bedside manner with detailed explanations. Eye surgery expertly executed with 100% result wished for. Professional from start to finish. Absolutely no hesitation to recommend.”

Mrs L.W.

Thousands of happy patients instantly gain freedom from cataracts, glasses and eye conditions

“I found the service I received from Dr. Elalfy very good, having experienced problems with surgery elsewhere, he sorted out those problems and reassured me to go on and complete my treatment. A lovely person with a very high skill set in optical surgery.”

Ms A.A.

“Mohamed Elalfy achieves all that we want from our medical practitioners; interest in you as a patient, great care in analysing the problem and ensuring that one’s concerns, emotional and practical, are thoroughly considered and explained and a great outcome.”

Mr B.P.

We have replaced the images of real patients who provided these testimonials to protect their privacy.

Affiliations and memberships

We are aligned with the following professional bodies

Academic resources on refractive errors

Learn more about refractive errors from authoritative sources

This seminal study is the largest US one of its kind, using the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s national ophthalmic database, to identify the complication surrounding myopia, a refractive error. Click here to read more.

This study encompasses all there is to know about hyperopia as a refractive error, including causes, symptoms, treatments and complications. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is when you see things that are far away better than things that are up close. Click here to read more.

This paper provides a comprehensive view of the most frustrating vision problem, the loss of reading vision, caused by an age-related condition called presbyopia. Click here to read more.

Astigmatism is a common condition in which the surface of the eye, or cornea, is not curved in the normal way, leading to blurred vision. Usually congenital, there’s also a chance it can develop after an eye operation or an injury to the eye. It is one of a group of eye conditions called refractive errors, which happen when the cornea or lens is not perfectly smooth and evenly curved. Click here to read more.

For vision problems the best first step is an assessment for vision correction surgery

An assessment appointment for vision correction surgery helps you find out if you’re suitable for the procedure based on your prescription and lifestyle needs.

Beat the lockdown wait lists and move forward with your life

We provide personalised treatment at a time and place that suits you

Mr Mohamed Elalfy

MBBCh, MSc, MD, DRCOphth, FRCS (Ed), FRCS (Glas), FRCOphth, FICO, FEBO
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon

Seeking eye treatment for a worrying eye condition can be stressful. Waitlists everywhere are long due to the lockdowns, and leaving the house to attend appointments can be a real inconvenience.

To make your experience as easy and stress-free as possible, we provide assessments in your local area. We also offer online appointments both before and after your treatment, so you don’t have to travel far to get the personalised support you deserve.

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