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Undercorrection (Residual Myopia)

Undercorrection occurs when an eye remains somewhat nearsighted after refractive surgery. It is seldom considered a serious complication. Distance vision is better (if not perfect), and near vision is still good. Undercorrection is much more common in people with severe nearsightedness than in people who had nearsightedness of less than 3 diopters.

Slight undercorrection may be considered an advantage. A little mild nearsightedness will delay the onset of presbyopia. And it may offset the effect of progressive farsightedness (hyperopia). Also, the amount of undercorrection may decrease after several years because of a phenomenon called the hyperopic shift. Hyperopic shift is the gradual increase in farsightedness that may occur for some years after radial keratotomy (RK) surgery.

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Undercorrection may be successfully corrected with a repeat surgery. But repeat operations tend to be less effective and less predictable than the first surgery.

ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerKathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerChristopher J. Rudnisky, MD, MPH, FRCSC - Ophthalmology
Last RevisedJune 24, 2011

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: June 24, 2011
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.

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