Jules Stein Eye Institute
UCLA Laser Refractive Center
100 Stein Plaza
Los Angeles, California 90095
(310) 825-2737
(310) UC LASER lrc@jsei.ucla.edu
Astigmatic Keratotomy (AK)
Astigmatic Keratotomy (AK) is a refractive surgical procedure that is used to correct astigmatism. When the shape of the cornea is more curved in one direction than the other, light entering the cornea focuses in several points within the eye resulting in blurry and distorted vision. To treat astigmatism with AK, incisions are strategically placed on the steepest part of the cornea, causing it to relax and become more spherical or round. This allows light to focus more precisely on the retina, causing vision to become sharper and clearer. AK takes minutes to perform and can be used alone or in conjunction with other refractive procedures.
Topography map shows vertically-oriented corneal astigmatism as a
bow-tie of red and yellow
After astigmatic keratotomy, corneal astigmatism is virtually eliminated.
Key features of AK
a surgical option to correct astigmatism
can be performed alone or with other refractive surgical procedures such as LASIK in Los Angeles.
