Can Laser eye surgery be repeated is one of the most commonly asked questions about the procedure and it is relevant for people who are considering having the treatment and also for those who have already had it done.
People who are considering having laser eye surgery want to know if the procedure can be repeated should the results not be as good as expected. The answer to the question is yes, in most cases laser eye surgery can be repeated and this is the same for both Lasik and Lasek. You will however need to be assessed by your surgeon to ensure you are suitable for the re-treatment.
If you have already had Lasik or Lasek and your prescription has regressed to the point where your vision is no longer satisfactory, you are likely to be interested in a re-treatment. Regression is not very common with only about 5% of those people having the surgery requiring a re-treatment. This percentage is continually decreasing as the laser technology advances and the knowledge of the surgeon’s increases.
During laser eye surgery the surgeon effectively removes some of your corneal tissue to reshape the surface of your eye. The higher your prescription the greater the amount of corneal tissue that needs to be removed. For this reason, if you have a high prescription you are less likely to be suitable for a re-treatment.
During your initial laser eye surgery consultation, the thickness of your cornea will be accurately measured. Most surgeons like to make sure that there will be sufficient corneal tissue remaining after your initial surgery to ensure that it would be safe to perform a re-enhancement should it be required. If your surgeon calculates that your cornea would not be thick enough for a second procedure they should inform you of this during your initial consultation.
Your surgeon will only perform a re-treatment if there is enough cornea thickness to ensure the procedure can be performed safely. It is vitally important that there is sufficient corneal thickness remaining after the repeat procedure to ensure that the cornea retains its strength and structural integrity. In theory, laser eye surgery can be repeated more than once although this is quite rare.