We aim to provide you with the best information to make an informed decision about your vision from your suitability to the treatment options available.
Conditions we treat
Vision correction for Long-Sightedness/ Hyperopia
Also known as hyperopia, long-sightedness, can now be treated with advanced laser eye surgery, leaving you conveniently glasses-free and ready to tackle your day with fresh eyes.
Hyperopia
Not seeing clearly without glasses or contacts can be stressful, frustrating and debilitating. You never know when you might need to have clear vision at a moment’s notice. Glasses and contacts themselves can be lost, broken, cumbersome, uncomfortable or just plain dirty.
Many activities are more difficult to do or enjoy if you need glasses or contacts. Fortunately we have great permanent solutions so you can see clearly without reaching for your glasses or contacts from the moment you wake up!
These include SMILE Pro, LASIK, and lens implants.
Best thing? 97% of people depending on glasses or contacts for clear vision are suitable for laser vision correction.
What Is Long-Sightedness (Hyperopia)?
Hyperopia, commonly known as farsightedness, is a focus error of the eye. With hyperopia, near objects become blurry before far away objects. So you see objects at long distances (far away) clearer than at near. So it is called far-sighted / hyperopia, the opposite of near-sighted / myopia. (In myopia, only the nearer objects are clear, and far objects are blurry.)
Symptoms of Hyperopia
- Blurry vision when looking at nearby objects
- Eye strain or discomfort, especially during prolonged reading or close work, such as computer work or reading a phone
- Headaches after visual tasks
- Difficulty with near tasks such as reading or sewing
Causes of Long Sightedness
- Hyperopia occurs when the length of your eye is too short for the focus power of your eye, preventing light from focusing directly on the retina.
- Genetics: A family history of hyperopia can increase the risk of developing the condition.
How Do Vision Procedures Correct Long Sightedness?
Carefully guided by our state-of-the-art ZEISS VISUMAX and MEL 90 laser devices, Dr Graham Fraenkel precisely applies invisible and painless laser treatment to the front focus lens of your eye (cornea).
Laser vision correction gently reshapes the front outside lens of your eye. Think of it like putting your spectacle or contact lens prescription on your eye so you don’t need to wear them.
Laser vision correction is quick (10-15 seconds usually) and painless, and you can’t see the laser. The next day, 9 out of 10 patients are already driving without their glasses or contacts.
For longsightedness (hyperopia), the invisible painless laser gently increases the curve of the front lens of your eye (your cornea), increasing the focusing strength of your eye. With more focusing strength your natural resting focus allows more distance and near focus so you can now see clearer without glasses or contacts.
Laser Eye Surgery Options for Hyperopia
Hyperopia can be treated with laser eye surgery. The most common types of laser eye surgery for hyperopia are:
| SMILE Pro | LASIK | |
|---|---|---|
| Invasiveness | Less invasive | More invasive |
| Corneal flap needed? | No | Yes |
| Recovery time needed | Up to 2 days | Up to 7 days |
| Risk of dry eye | Minimal | Higher |
SMILE Pro, like all laser LASIK, is quick and painless. The difference with SMILE Pro and all laser LASIK is that SMILE Pro is one laser only, you don’t hear or smell the laser, and there is no flap created on the front of your eye (as is needed for LASIK).
SMILE Pro is therefore thought of as “minimally” invasive which, along with no flap, is an attractive option for many people to correct their vision so they do not need to rely on glasses or contacts.
Again, you are usually in our laser suite for less than 10minutes, and the laser itself lasts only 10 seconds. It's that fast!
Again, most patients can drive the next day without their old glasses or contacts. Laser Vision SA is extremely proud to have been one of only 16 eye clinics worldwide to be appointed by Zeiss to introduce SMILE Pro hyperopic treatments for patients.
Learn more about our exclusive SMILE Pro technology.
All laser (FS) LASIK is quick and painless. After a 5m valium tablet to help you feel more relaxed and comfortable, we make your eyes completely numb with eye drops. This means you don’t feel the laser and we can gently keep your eyes open for you. You don’t need to worry about blinking at the wrong time.
The first laser creates a very thin (80um) layer (flap) on the front of your eye. The second laser refocuses your eye under this layer. Each laser takes about 10-15 seconds and you don’t see or feel it. Your total time in our specialised laser suite is usually just under 10 minutes.
There are drops to put in your eyes, you head straight home, and most can drive the next day without their old glasses or contacts!
Am I Suitable for Laser Eye Surgery for Long Sightedness?
You are very likely one of the 97% of patients with long sightedness who ARE suitable for laser vision correction. You can take our quiz below, but the best way to really know is to attend Laser Vision SA for a FREE consultation where we will perform a series of special tests with our state of the art diagnostic equipment which checks your eyes to confirm your suitability.
Book a Free Consultation
If you have any questions or would like to determine if laser eye surgery is suitable for you, please fill out the form below.
Information
To be suitable for laser eye surgery for longsightedness, you’ll need to:
Be over age 21
Have mild to moderate hyperopia (up to 6.0 dioptres) and/or astigmatism (up to 5.0 dioptres)
Have a stable prescription for at least 18 months
Have a pre-operative corneal thickness of at least 480 microns
Have good ocular health
Not sure if you meet the criteria? Book your Free Consultation
The rare patient who is not suitable for laser vision correction, or patients over 45 who need reading glasses and would prefer trifocal vision, may be better with lens implants rather than laser vision correction.
Lens implants are placed in your eye behind your coloured iris and dark circular pupil in the middle of your eye. You do not see them or feel them. The procedure to place implants is performed under sedation and anaesthetic drops at a day surgery hospital, takes only 10 minutes per eye and is generally very safe.
Laser eye surgery for long-sightedness has been proven to be highly successful1 [1] [https://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(25)00747-X/fulltext ], with high patient post-operative satisfaction.
According to research into mild to moderate hyperopia laser eye procedures, there is approximately a 90-95% success rate2 [2]. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27531300 ]
[1] Santhiago, M.R., Steigleman, W.A. et al. LASIK for Hyperopia. Ophthalmology. 2026;133(4):466-476
[2] Sandoval, H.P., Donnenfeld, E.D. et al. Modern laser in situ keratomileusis outcomes. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2016;42(8):1224-34.
Laser Vision Correction is performed in our special laser suite at our rooms at 169 Pirie St in the Adelaide CBD on Thursdays. Your total time at Laser Vision SA is 40 minutes, but time in the laser suite is usually just under 10 minutes.
Everybody is sensitive about their eyes, so it is normal to be anxious on arrival the day of your laser vision correction. All patients are given 5 mg of valium (diazepam) on arrival. This means by the time you come to our laser suite, you will be feeling relaxed and comfortable, but not sleepy.
In our laser suite the very first thing is strong numbing drops are placed in your eyes. This means the laser will not hurt, and we can keep your eyes open for you. You do not need to worry about blinking at the wrong time.
The laser itself is usually only 1–15 seconds and you do not see or feel it.
Almost all patients are quite surprised how quick and comfortable laser vision correction actually is.
For LASIK and SMILE Pro for hyperopia, immediately your laser vision correction is finished you will be able to see but vision will be quite foggy. So someone should get you to where you are staying overnight. We suggest a short nap when you get there. You will be able to watch television that evening, though vision will still be a little blurry. Next morning, vision will not be perfect, and may still be a little foggy, but 9 out of 10 patients are good to drive there and then without glasses or contacts. You may wish to work 3-4 hours on your computer from home. Hospitality workers can work from the Saturday i.e. 2 days later, and office workers are back to work on the Monday. We are happy to provide the necessary medical certificates. Your vision will continue to improve even a little more over the next 4-6 weeks.
Overall, laser vision correction is as safe as long term contact lens wear, so very safe. As with all procedures however, there are risks.
- With modern laser vision correction, no one has lost an eye, gone blind, or lost a lot of vision. Otherwise we would not do this at all. The risk of losing a little sharpness of vision is 1/1,000 patients. A “little” means after vision correction you can only read 2 lines on the vision chart larger than before you had vision correction, when you were wearing your best glasses or contacts. You would be able to see the two lower lines still, but they would be too blurry to read the letters. This would still be legal for driving and almost all activities. “Losing” means we could not get you reading those two smaller lines of letters again with more treatment or even glasses. Dr Fraenkel would demonstrate this to you prior to any procedure.
- Dry eye: Everyone has short term dry eye for 4-6 weeks after a vision correction procedure managed with eye drops. With the modern vision laser vision correction methods we use, such as thin 980um) flap all laser LASIK, and SMILE Pro, the risk of dry eye is less than it used to be. In the rare event long term dry eye does occur this can be managed with a combination of different eye drops, temporary tear duct occlusion, eye lid treatments and occasionally oral tablets until your eye heals and dry eye is no longer a problem.
- Approximately 2% of patients need a “topup” laser to fine tune their vision as all people heal differently. This is usually at no charge.
- Some eyes react in an unpredictable fashion to laser treatment and develop a thinning that can lead to distorted vision in a process called ectasia. The risk of ectasia is greatly reduced by the many technologies and measurements we use to determine whether your eyes have any risk factors for ectasia. However ectasia can still happen very, very rarely even when no risk factors were found. Ectasia is treated with corneal cross linking and PRK in the rare event it happens.
At Laser Vision SA, we perform thorough pre-operative assessments to significantly reduce your risk of these potential side effects.
After SMILE Pro, you can undertake every task 24 hours later with no restrictions.
After LASIK we suggest no swimming for a week and no contact sports for two weeks.
Most patients can perform a few hours of work the next day. If you work in hospitality you are very likely to be able to work the first Saturday after you receive your laser vision correction on Thursday.
Almost all patients return to full office work on the first Monday after your Thursday laser vision correction.
We can also provide the required forms to remove the indication on your drivers licence that you should wear glasses or contacts.
Why Choose Laser Vision SA for Long Sightedness Treatment?
Dr Graham Fraenkel is an experienced industry leader in laser eye surgery, with over 28 years helping Adelaide patients achieve clear vision. He has performed over 35,000 vision procedures and the most SMILE treatments in Australia and New Zealand compared to any other eye surgeon.
Dr Fraenkel has completed two years of dedicated Fellowship training in refractive surgery, one year in Sydney at the Sydney Refractive Surgery Centre Chatswood, and one year in London at the renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital. Dr Fraenkel has also completed two separate postgraduate diplomas in refractive procedures, one at the University of Sydney and one at University of Ulster. Dr Fraenkel has authored pioneering articles on refractive surgery published in the international peer reviewed scientific literature and now teaches international Fellowship students about refractive surgery himself.
Frequent questions
Yes, the results of LASIK are designed to be long-lasting and irreversible.
Laser eye surgery for long and short-sighted vision is a commonly used procedure with a high success rate.
Your vision should be at around 90% of its optimal result the next day, but it can take up to 6 months to fully adapt to the changes.
No, we use anaesthetic eye drops to numb the eye before the treatment.
LASIK for hyperopia has been shown to be extremely successful at around 90-95%, with high patient satisfaction.
It’s normal to be anxious. We are all sensitive about our eyes and take our vision very seriously. That is why we are the only clinic in Adelaide to specialise only in laser vision correction. Most of our staff have received laser vision correction themselves, including Dr Fraenkel, so they know how you feel and how to help you. The 5 mg valium helps you feel more comfortable, the eye numbing drops work really well, and Dr Fraenkel is talking to you the whole time, telling you what you will experience every step of the way, so there are no nasty surprises. At the end, most patients are very surprised how quick and comfortable vision correction is, if a little weird.
Most people are nervous about flying, but put up with it for hours for a temporary holiday. This is just 10 minutes in exchange for better vision for life!