LASIK, which stands for laser in-situ keratomileusis, is a popular surgery that can correct vision in people who are nearsighted or farsighted, or who have astigmatism. It’s one of many vision correction surgeries that work by reshaping your cornea, the clear front part of your eye, so that light focuses on the retina in the back of your eye.
When light doesn’t focus on your retina the way it should, your vision is blurry. Doctors call this a refractive error. The basic types include:
Nearsightedness (myopia). You see things clearly when they’re close to you, but things farther away are blurry.
Farsightedness (hyperopia). You see faraway things more clearly, but closer things are blurry.
Astigmatism. This can make everything blurry because of how your eye is shaped.