Can You Get Lasik Twice? Are there any Risks on Getting it Twice?

Ask anyone who needs to wear reading glasses lenses every day what their first wish is. They will probably tell you that they want to be able to see the world around them with their naked eyes. And that, LASIK surgery can give it to you. 

Never heard the word LASIK? It is an acronym for Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis, a form of eye surgery. Doctors perform this surgery for short-sightedness and astigmatism treatments. Some people who had LASIK surgery might experience lesser effectiveness over time. You can blame that on natural aging or pregnancy also plays a part.

Repeat LASIK is possible only for some patients. A refractive surgeon must reassess prescription stability, corneal thickness, dry-eye status, previous surgical records and other risk factors before deciding whether enhancement or another option is appropriate.

What is LASIK surgery? What happens during it?

LASIK  is basically the reshaping of the cornea, which is the very front surface of the eye. It is basically done to treat myopia (nearsightedness), astigmatism, and hyperopia (farsightedness).

At its heart, it is two steps: On one hand, doctors make a flap to get to the structural framework of the cornea. On the other hand, they resurface that framework to make the cornea flatter.

In most nearsightedness cases, doctors are making the cornea flatter. In case of farsightedness or hyperopia, they work on the purple of the cornea and steepen it up. 

But it is a two-step procedure to make a flap and then use a laser as a very sophisticated plane to resurface the cornea and then lie the flap back down. If you’re worried about having to take bed rest for days then don’t worry. You can go about doing your work the very next day.

Who can get LASIK?

People sometimes throw the terms good candidate and bad candidate for Lasik around. But most of the time, it is not fully explained. So, who is LASIK for? Anybody over the age of 18 can undergo LASIK.

That being said, doctors don't prefer operating on anyone unless they are 21 or in their mid-20s. The reason? Your glasses or contact lens prescription has to be stable for at least 1 and a half years or 2 years before you have Lasik. 

This is because doctors don't want to hit a moving target and that is not ideal. If you’re young and you get LASIK when your eyes are still changing, which they do, people get more and more nearsighted mainly because of schools and gadgets and other reasons. The result? That means you might end up needing a touch-up which is not good because:

1. It is expensive.
2. It means you require more surgery.

What makes someone a poor candidate for LASIK?

Eye surgeons always want you to have the best outcome. So, the surgeons look at you and think is this person going to have the best results because they don't want you to pay a lot of cash and go through surgery and not get an ideal result? 

1. People who have very dry eyes are not good candidates and the reason is LASIK can make your eyes even more dry. You might say that is not a big deal but it is. People who have dry eyes after Lasik are miserable. Dry eyes affect the quality and the clarity of your vision as well. You get glares and halos because of the dryness. So, if you already have dry eyes and are thinking of going into LASIK, your surgeon is going to say that you are not a good candidate for the surgery.
2. If you have an active autoimmune disease like lupus, Sjogren, etc, a lot is going on in your body as you’re taking a lot of medication and that can be quite serious. With the inflammatory state, surgeons do not want you to take the risk. 
3. Pregnant or breastfeeding are not good candidates either. Doctors typically suggest women wait at least six months after stopping breastfeeding to get evaluated for the surgery. This is because when you’re pregnant and you’re breastfeeding, everything in your body and eyes changes. Your glasses and contact lens prescription can also change. Doctors expect stability in your measurements and that is not possible in these situations.
4. People on Accutane are not good candidates either. Because it is changing the character of your tears and it can make your eyes super dry. After you discontinue Accutane for a certain number of months, you can consult your dermatologist first.
5. Also people below 21 and those whose prescriptions are always changing gotta wait 1 and a half or at least 2 years to conduct this surgery.

Vision Changes after LASIK? Blame Ageing?

Most people who have undergone LASIK surgeries have said that the results are great. While they may face initial side effects like minor visual disturbances, light sensitivity, and blurred vision at first, they go away after some weeks. 

If the symptoms refuse to let go of you, it might be trying to tell you that there is some prescription left and you might get some treatment for it. Doctors call it LASIK enhancement surgery. Below, I have mentioned some factors that may hamper the success of a LASIK surgery:

1. Your corneal health
2. Your vision condition, for eg: Myopia
3. How strong your prescription is
4. The success rate of your healing (Some heal fast and some heal slowly. If the healing is abnormal, it is calling for a second surgery)
5. Pregnancy or breastfeeding as mentioned above

Natural Ageing

It really does not matter if you’re short-sighted, long-sighted, or have perfect vision, all eyes will eventually suffer from presbyopia someday.  No one can avoid it because we all will grow old someday. 

Presbyopia won’t let you see nearer things clearly seeing things far away ain’t a problem. That’s the opposite in the case of Hyperopia. This situation happens in old age when the eye’s lenses lose their elasticity, not allowing light to focus properly.

Can we get LASIK twice?

We get many questions from people asking whether or not it is possible to get LASIK twice. Well, the answer is a YES but why would someone need to go through it twice?

Before undergoing a LASIK, know that your vision may change after the surgery is done. Do not confuse LASIK as a lifetime guarantee fix for your vision problems. It is rather a long-lasting vision-correcting option. 

Patients who had LASIK years ago and their visions are changing again can get the procedure done a second time. You need to contact the surgeon who performed the surgery the first time around and get another LASIK consultation.

Your surgeon needs to ensure that you require a second procedure. And just like the first time around, you need to qualify for various factors like age, eye health, and more. 

They will examine how much corneal tissue is in the eye since it needs to be thick enough for treatment. Even if the corneal tissue is thick, other health-related needs need to be met, for instance, not having dry eyes.

Specialist assessment is essential

LASIK and repeat LASIK have potential benefits, limitations and complications. Vision Concern can provide eye assessment and referral guidance, but eligibility, surgical planning, expected results and postoperative care must be determined by a qualified refractive surgeon.

Conclusion

Do not assume that a second procedure is suitable because vision has changed after LASIK. Seek specialist assessment, especially for pain, sudden vision change, persistent glare, severe dryness or other concerning symptoms.

FAQs

Q: What activities should I stop immediately after LASIK surgery?

A: Surgeons normally request you not to do anything that affects your eyes. To avoid infection, do yourself a favour and avoid public gyms for at least 5 days. For at least 2 weeks, stay away from swimming or any activities that have chlorinated, salt, or freshwater. 

Q: How many days should I rest after LASIK surgery?

A: Recovery varies. Follow the treating surgeon's instructions and ask when it is safe to resume work, driving, exercise and swimming. Contact the surgical team urgently for worsening pain or sudden vision loss.

Official Repeat-LASIK Safety Reference

For patient information about LASIK risks and candidacy, see the U.S. FDA guidance on when LASIK may not be suitable. Whether enhancement or repeat surgery is appropriate depends on corneal measurements, stability, eye health and a surgeon’s assessment; it is not automatically safe or necessary.