You may wonder what astigmatism is. Simply stated it is when the cornea is warped thus giving the eye two different focal lengths as illustrated in the diagrams below.

The diagram on the left is a normal eye without astigmatism. Light focuses on a single point in the back of the eye. The diagram on the right shows what happens when the cornea is warped. The cornea warpage deflects the light giving two different focal points.
The result of astigmatism is blurred vision. Astigmatism can range from almost undetectable to causing double visual acuity. With new lens technology, state of the art diagnostic equipment and our patented contact lens design, it is possible to fit all patients with astigmatism successfully in contact lenses.
Using an Orbscan corneal map, Drs. Buffington and Lilley can see exactly how to design a lens to fit an astigmatic cornea. The image on the left above, shows an astigmatic cornea, the hot colors representing the areas of the cornea that are warped. After carefully designing a contact to fit that eye, not only only could the patient see 20/20 with that eye, after several months the corneas shape had improved dramatically with the contact removed, as shown in the picture on the right. With a procedure known as Orthokeratology, an astigmatic condition can be improved to the point of being able to see without contacts or glasses.

Drs. Buffington and Lilley are the first optometrist in Northern California to use Orbscan corneal mapping as a diagnostic tool for designing and fitting contacts. This powerful diagnostic tools allow them to fit virtually any astigmatic condition successfully.