Home / Conditions & treatments

Hyperopia (farsightedness): Treatment Options in Korea

What is hyperopia?

Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is a focusing error in which light lands behind the retina instead of on it. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) explains that the eye is usually shorter than normal from front to back, or the cornea is too flat. It is a focusing problem, not an eye disease.

Distance vision is often clearer than near vision, but strong hyperopia can blur both. Young people can hide mild hyperopia by focusing harder with their flexible natural lens, which is why many have no symptoms until their 40s, when that focusing power fades. Symptoms include trouble with reading, eye strain, headaches and squinting.

How is hyperopia diagnosed?

An eye exam with a phoropter or retinoscope measures hyperopia, and a dilated (cycloplegic) refraction is often needed to find the full amount. The AAO notes that children and young adults may be given dilating drops for an accurate measurement even when they see well.

The difference matters for surgery. The U.S. FDA warns that in farsighted patients the results of LASIK may diminish with age if the normal and dilated measurements differ significantly. Seoul clinics therefore measure your refraction both ways, together with corneal shape and thickness, the depth of the front of the eye and the drainage angle, because short eyes can be prone to angle-closure glaucoma. See the pre-op eye exam guide.

Which treatments in Seoul address hyperopia?

Laser surgery steepens the cornea and suits lower amounts of hyperopia; lens surgery suits higher amounts and people who also have presbyopia. The AAO says LASIK is limited to lower amounts of farsightedness and lists refractive lens exchange as the other surgical route.

USD equivalents are approximate at about ₩1,350–1,400 per dollar: LASIK roughly $1,100–$1,900 for both eyes; RLE roughly $1,100–$4,800 per eye.

Why is hyperopia harder to correct with a laser than myopia?

To correct hyperopia the laser must steepen the center of the cornea by removing tissue around it, which is less forgiving than flattening it for myopia. Results are less predictable at higher powers and some regression over time is more common.

That is why many surgeons keep laser treatment for low hyperopia and suggest lens surgery for more. Ask your surgeon what amount they are comfortable treating with a laser and what their enhancement policy is; see LASIK prescription limits and LASIK enhancement.

Is refractive lens exchange a good option for farsightedness?

For many farsighted people over about 45, yes. RLE removes your natural lens and replaces it with an intraocular lens (IOL) chosen to correct the prescription, which also means you will never develop a cataract in that eye.

It is the same operation as cataract surgery, so it is permanent and carries the risks of intraocular surgery, including infection, swelling, retinal detachment and clouding of the lens capsule that needs a quick laser treatment later. Premium multifocal lenses can reduce the need for reading glasses but often cause halos at night at first. Compare lenses in monofocal vs multifocal IOL and approaches in RLE vs ICL; prices are in the RLE cost guide.

What about farsighted children?

Children usually need glasses, not surgery. The AAO notes that mild hyperopia often lessens as the eye grows, but children with higher-than-normal hyperopia should see an ophthalmologist, because untreated hyperopia can lead to amblyopia (lazy eye) and crossed eyes. See also our anisometropia guide if one eye is much more farsighted than the other.

How do I plan hyperopia treatment in Seoul?

Allow 3–5 days for laser surgery and about 5–7 days for lens exchange, which many clinics perform one eye at a time. Bring past prescriptions, tell the clinic about any glaucoma history, and ask for an itemised per-eye quote. The AAO adds there is no evidence that eye exercises, vitamins or pills cure farsightedness. This page is general information, not medical advice; an ophthalmologist must examine you before recommending surgery.

What should I ask before hyperopia surgery?

A few targeted questions help you judge whether a recommendation fits your eyes rather than a package.

• What are my manifest and dilated (cycloplegic) prescriptions, and how different are they?
• What amount of hyperopia do you treat with a laser, and what is your enhancement policy?
• Is my drainage angle narrow, and does that affect which surgery is safe?
• If you recommend lens exchange, which lens do you suggest and why?
• Will I need reading glasses afterwards, and for what tasks?

Ask, too, how your result is expected to change over the next ten years. Hyperopic eyes keep losing focusing power with age, so a plan that looks perfect at 45 may still leave you needing reading glasses at 55, and a good surgeon will explain that honestly.

Sources

• American Academy of Ophthalmology – What is farsightedness (hyperopia)?
• U.S. FDA – LASIK: what are the risks?
• American Academy of Ophthalmology – LASIK: laser eye surgery
• American Academy of Ophthalmology – What is presbyopia?

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can LASIK fix farsightedness?

Yes, for lower amounts. The AAO says LASIK is limited to lower degrees of hyperopia; higher prescriptions are usually better treated with lens surgery.

What is the best surgery for high hyperopia?

For adults over about 45, refractive lens exchange is often preferred because it corrects large prescriptions and presbyopia together. Younger patients need an individual assessment.

Does farsightedness get worse with age?

It often seems to, because the natural lens loses focusing power from the 40s and can no longer hide hyperopia. Reading becomes harder first, then distance vision may blur too.

How much does hyperopia surgery cost in Korea?

Laser surgery costs about ₩1.5M–₩2.5M for both eyes in 2026. Lens exchange costs about ₩1.5M–₩3M per eye with a monofocal lens and ₩3.5M–₩6.5M per eye with a premium lens.

Is hyperopic LASIK permanent?

The tissue change is permanent, but some regression is more common than after myopic LASIK, and the eye keeps ageing. Some people need an enhancement or reading glasses later.

Planning vision correction in Seoul?

Compare clinics by district, check 2026 price ranges, and read our step-by-step planning guide for international patients.