HYPERMETROPY :  AN EYEBALL TOO SHORT,
A BLURRY NEAR AND FAR VISION.

The hyperopic eyeball is too short, the light rays converge behind the retina. Hyperopia appears or increases with age. The young patient is able to accommodate (change the curving and strengh of the lens) to partially or totally compensate his hyperopia. As he ages, the ability to accommodate decreases and hyperopia appears. The patient gradually complains about increasing blurry near and far vision (early presbyopia). Strong stimulation of the accommodation can induce headaches.

Operations correcting hyperopia

SURFACE TECHNIQUES - PRK, LASEK, EPILASIK

These techniques are not recommended for the correction of hyperopia. They expose the patient to a high risk of abnormal healing (haze and regression).

IN DEPTH TECHNIQUES WITH CUTTING : LASIK AND FEMTOLASIK

Cutting eye surgeries (LASIK and FemtoLASIK) requires more skills and experience from the surgeon. The operative complication rates are low (1%).

The surgical risk is related to the creation of the corneal cap or flap. This cap is made by an automated microkeratome in case of LASIK or by a femtoseconde laser in case of FemtoLASIK.

The correction is then performed with an excimer laser.

These techniques can correct hyperopia up to 6 Diopters.

Learn more about LASIK - FemtoLASIK

TECHNIQUES WITH DOUBLE CUTTING RELEX SMILE

This technique does not correct hyperopia.

THE PHAKIC IMPLANTS

The placement of a phakic intra-ocular lens can correct hyperopia. The two best-known phakic lenses are the ICL implant from Staar and the Artisan implant from Ophtec.

The placement of this type of lens is not always possible for the hyperopic. The hyperopic eye being an eye too small, there is indeed not always enough place to insert a phakic lens.

Learn more about phakic lens operations

LENS SURGERY

When the patient’s visual acuity is decreased due to a cataract, lens surgery removes the cataract and places a lens that will correct the defect at the same time.

"Clear lens surgery" or crystalline removal without any cataract feature is not recommended for patients below the age of 45 years because it deprives them of any accommodation (ability to focus on the near-sightedness).

After the age of 45 years, in case of hyperopia and presbyopia, lens extraction with  placement of a multifocal lens is possible. Be careful, this procedure is reimbursed by social security only in case of cataract.

Learn more about lens surgery and multifocal implants