Hyperopia is more commonly referred to as farsightedness and is the opposite of myopia. Farsighted people have difficulty focusing on distant objects and are even blurrier up close.

Farsightedness is caused by a cornea that is too flat or an eyeball that is too short. These conditions cause the light rays to focus at a point behind the retina. When the laser is used to correct hyperopia, the laser gently steepens the contour of the cornea, which increases its focusing power and causes the light to come into focus directly on the retina.