While Lasik surgery is becoming increasingly commonplace, there nevertheless are some items to consider before undergoing the procedure. Although there are no specific complications involving having Lasik surgery performed if you are currently suffering from cataracts, the procedure might make your later cataract surgery more difficult than necessary.
Lasik
Lasik is a surgical procedure designed to correct near and farsightedness. According to information from the FDA, Lasik is performed by reshaping the cornea of the eye to change its ability to focus on objects at varying distances. Complications of Lasik include excessively dry eyes, halos around light sources and occasional double vision.
Cataracts and Lasik
According to information from both the FDA and the USAEyes surgical certification board, there is no outright reason that makes Lasik eye surgery impossible for someone currently suffering from cataracts. Having Lasik surgery prior to cataract surgery results in the cataract surgery being more difficult, but not impossible.
Complications
The main complication in having Lasik prior to cataract surgery is that during the cataract surgery, the cataract-infected lens will be removed and replaced with a man-made lens made of plastic or silicone. While gauging the required strength of the replacement lens of a "normal" eye is a fairly routine procedure, gauging the required strength of a lens to replace an eye that has already been subjected to Lasik is much more difficult. According to the site LasikComplications.com, the reshaped cornea (from Lasik surgery) makes it more difficult to find a man-made lens that will achieve the desired result.
Solution
The easiest solution to this problem is to schedule cataract treatment prior to any kind of Lasik eye surgery. This will circumvent the entire issue, allowing both procedures to function together in tandem. Additionally, having Lasik after cataract surgery can be beneficial, because while cataract surgery can compensate for near and farsightedness, it cannot do anything for individuals with an astigmatism (where the cornea of the eye is curved abnormally, resulting in blurred vision) -- but Lasik can.
Considerations
If you insist on having Lasik performed as soon as possible, some apt advice comes from the USAEyes Surgeon Certification Center: Ensure an optimal experience by selecting a surgeon who has experience in both Lasik and cataract surgery, or by selecting a surgeon who has extensive experience in performing cataract surgery on individuals who have previously had Lasik. This will help to mitigate risk in the event that you are otherwise unable to undergo these procedures in the proper order.
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