Have you had LASIK and now need Cataract surgery? Or, have you had Cataract surgery and are considering LASIK to refine your vision? Maybe you only needed Cataract surgery in one eye and want LASIK to even out your vision. No two people are alike, which makes us all unique but also makes it difficult to find the answers you need for your specific situation. We’ve compiled some answers to your LASIK and Cataracts questions.

First of all, LASIK and cataract surgery are separate procedures that improve vision by correcting two different problems. LASIK corrects a vision problem that can be corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses. A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that forms, doesn’t resolve on its own and isn’t fixable with glasses or contacts. The harder a cataract becomes, the harder it becomes to see. Cataract surgery removes the lens within the eye and replaces it with an implant. LASIK simply changes the shape of one’s cornea. Both procedures are very common and safe.

It’s possible for an individual to elect to have LASIK eye surgery at one point and then develop cataracts later on, as cataracts is a natural part of aging in some people. If you have access to your eye records from before you had LASIK, you should be able to have cataracts surgery without any problems. Your eye surgeon will need to be aware of any modifications made to your eye in order to perform your surgery with accuracy.

On the other hand, if you’ve never had LASIK and have trouble seeing due to Cataracts, you’re most likely not a candidate for LASIK. That’s because Cataract surgery can greatly improve your vision, once the cloudy lens is removed. If you’d still like to improve your vision after Cataract surgery, then you may discuss with your doctor whether you are a candidate.

After having cataract surgery, some patients who received monofocal implants find it difficult to read up close without reading glasses. In these cases, we can perform LASIK or PRK on your non-dominant eye to help you read better up close. This method isn’t perfect, as it means that one eye is better at close up and the other is better at seeing far away. But it’s the best option for some and find that they adjust to their new vision.

The good news is that there is more than one option and we’re always happy to discuss these with you during a free consultation.