Could eye drops ever replace corrective lenses or LASIK surgery?

Chief Surgeon, J.Trevor Woodhams, M.D. answers this frequently asked question from Quora.com

A medical drop? Or just something non-surgical that could prevent or correct nearsightedness?

Most nearsightedness (myopia) develops during childhood and through the teen years into the early 20s. Myopia (anatomically) is a bigger-than-normal eyeball. So the focal point for a nearsighted eye is up close instead off at a distance.

Why does this happen in the first place? Nobody really knows although there is possibly a role for genetics, spending too much time out of the sunlight, and perhaps even learning to read at an early age.

In any case, it is possible someday that we could use medical intervention (drops?) to inhibit this excessive growth in the size of the eye. But for now, this is just sci-fi speculation. We are a long way off from being able to adjust the size of the eyeball.