Can you have laser eye surgery twice?

Can laser eye surgery be performed more than once?

This is a question we get asked a lot, so we wanted to cover it today on our blog and provide some information about cases where laser eye surgery may be needed for a second time, after your initial treatment. Simply put, yes, you can have laser eye surgery twice. However, the vast majority of our patients do not require a second procedure, as the changes made to your eye in laser eye surgery are permanent.

For Optimax patients who do require re-treatment, we offer a Lifetime Aftercare Guarantee. This means that, where it is recommended by our medical team, we will offer patients who need a second laser surgery the procedure free of charge. You can learn more about our guarantee here, and can read more to understand the process of re-treatment, should this apply to you.

Can laser eye surgery ‘wear off’?

Laser eye surgery doesn’t ‘wear off’. If you find that your vision loses some sharpness in the years after laser eye surgery, this is usually due to an unstable prescription. When you have laser eye surgery, the changes that are made to your eye by the laser are permanent. The laser reshapes your cornea, smoothing it to ensure that light is refracted properly in your eye to provide clear vision. This effect doesn’t ‘wear off’, as some people claim, as it is a permanent reshaping.

However, laser eye surgery only corrects for your vision as it is at the time of surgery, and it can’t prevent your prescription from changing in the future. Laser eye surgery also can’t protect against age-related changes to your eyes which may occur further down the line. An example of this is the need for reading glasses which typically occurs from the age of 40 onward.

How does laser eye surgery re-treatment work?

We offer two different types of laser eye surgery at Optimax, LASIK and LASEK. These two methods differ in the way in which the top corneal layer is removed, in order for the laser to be applied to the layer underneath (this is the part which actually corrects your vision). With LASIK procedures, the top layer is lifted by a first laser and held back, creating a temporary lid effect, while the middle corneal layer receives treatment from a different second laser. The top layer of the cornea is then gently placed back into the position it was before and left to heal.

With LASEK procedures, however, the surgeon places a dilute alcohol solution into the eye to soften the surface layer. Once this has been done, the top corneal layer can either be removed or gently moved to the side. This exposes the middle layer and the laser can be applied to it. The surgeon then places a bandage lens into the eye for protection, and to help the healing process, which is then removed at an aftercare appointment 3 to 5 days post-procedure.

While the flap heals quickly after LASIK surgery, it is not advisable to create a new flap or to re-lift the old flap for a laser eye surgery re-treatment. We recommend that patients visiting us for their second laser eye surgery have LASEK treatment instead, although you will meet with your surgeon who, upon reviewing your medical notes and eye scans, will make a decision in your best interests.

For patients who had their short-sight corrected with laser eye surgery, we recommend waiting 6 months after your first surgery before having a re-treatment. For patients who had long-sight corrected, we recommend waiting 9 months for re-treatment. This is because, while most patients experience immediate improvement to their vision, in rare cases it can take some time for your vision to settle following treatment. Often, patients whose vision wasn’t immediately clear after laser eye surgery find that it improves over the next few weeks or months, achieving excellent results later down the line.

Contact us

If you believe your vision has deteriorated after your first treatment, and that you require a second laser eye surgery procedure, please give us a call on 0800 093 1110 or send us an email to enquiry@optimax.co.uk. We want you to be happy with your results and to help you to achieve clear, natural vision.