Can you get LASIK if you have cataracts?
Cataracts and LASIK San Diego
Cataracts are extremely common, affecting more than a quarter of all people over age 65 and more than two-thirds of those over age 80. When left untreated, they can threaten a person’s vision. Fortunately, we have a highly effective surgical procedure that can be used to treat cataracts.
We often get questions about cataracts and LASIK. Sometimes, patients ask whether they can go ahead and have LASIK at the same time as their cataract surgery. They’re hoping that this will allow them to achieve clear vision while going through just one recovery period. Other patients have only mild cataracts (which may even be discovered at the time of evaluation for LASIK), and are wondering if they can go ahead and have LASIK now, leaving the cataract treatment for later.
So how do LASIK and cataracts interact? Can people with cataracts consider LASIK? Can a person choose to have cataract surgery and LASIK at the same time?
What is a cataract and how is it treated?
A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens of the eye. The lens is located just behind the pupil. It acts to help focus light onto the retina, which is the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy lens is transparent, and can change shape in order to focus at different distances.
The cataract interferes with the way that light passes through the lens. This can reduce the amount of light that’s able to make it into your eye, causing your vision to be dim or cloudy. It can also distort the light as it passes through the damaged lens.
Cataracts are treated by removing the damaged natural lens from the eye. It’s then replaced with an artificial one known as an intraocular lens, or IOL. This procedure takes less than an hour, and it’s permanent. The cataracts will not grow back later, because the artificial materials of the IOL don’t experience aging like the natural lens does.
Can LASIK help with cataracts?
LASIK will not help to address the vision changes caused by cataracts. This is because the cataract occurs in the lens of the eye, which is located behind the pupil. LASIK doesn’t address this part of the eye. Instead, LASIK alters the surface of the cornea, which is the clear tissue at the very front of the eye. Because of this, LASIK is not a treatment for cataracts.
Cataracts should be addressed before considering LASIK
It certainly makes sense to hope for just one recovery period, instead of needing two separate procedures. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible or safe to combine LASIK and cataract surgery. These two procedures can’t be performed together.
If a person has cataracts, this is considered to be a contraindication to any type of laser vision correction, meaning that it’s not considered safe to have LASIK if you have a cataract. Even if your cataract is very mild and would not require immediate treatment, you still should not have LASIK.
Vision correction can be achieved by IOLs
However, people who have cataract surgery may not even need to consider LASIK. This is because vision correction can be achieved by the IOL that’s implanted into your eye.
By using detailed information about how light passes through your eye to construct a prescription IOL, we can correct issues like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or even astigmatism. This means that, after your cataract surgery, your vision is likely to be clear even without corrective lenses. Most people will not need LASIK at this point.
If you have cataracts, and you’re interested in vision correction, then cataract surgery may be the best option. Even if your cataracts are relatively mild, removing your damaged lenses and replacing them with custom-made IOLs can reduce your dependence on glasses or contacts while simultaneously getting rid of your cataracts permanently. Modern cataract surgery is very safe, and there’s really no reason to wait on treating cataracts, especially if you’d like permanent vision correction at the same time.
It’s important to note that not all IOLs are able to change shape once implanted. If an IOL has a single focal point, this is usually calibrated to provide good distance vision, and you’ll likely need reading glasses for seeing closer up. However, there are many IOL options that can reduce or eliminate the need for reading glasses, including IOLs with multiple different focal points as well as those that can change shape inside your eye to help you focus up close.
Cataracts and LASIK San Diego
If you have cataracts, then LASIK is not a good option for you. However, the artificial lens placed during your cataract surgery can contain a prescription, helping you to achieve clearer vision after the procedure without LASIK. To find out more about cataract surgery or LASIK, or to learn whether you’d be a good candidate for one of these procedures, please contact our front desk to schedule an appointment with one of our expert eye surgeons.
