Can I Have Laser Eye Surgery If I Have Dry Eyes?

Apart from sleeping, dry eyes can affect pretty much everything we do.

Reading, working at a computer, driving, hot weather, using your phone, windy weather; dry eye is not a condition you would wish on your worst enemy.

Part of the reason dry eye is so problematic is that it’s a condition with often no one single cause, and it can also be exacerbated by a range of factors. This makes it tricky to pin down and say “here is the problem”, and go about trying to get rid of it.

Fortunately, this doesn’t mean that dry eye is a condition that has no cure and which you’re destined to suffer through for eternity.

It also doesn’t mean that dry eye is a big red cross next to your level of suitability for Laser Eye Surgery.

Rather, if you have dry eyes and are looking to improve your vision, it means you need the right set of tests, expertise, and systems to do the job.

Dry eyes and suitability for Laser Eye Surgery

So, to be direct about the question, “Can you have Laser Eye Surgery if you have dry eyes?” The answer is yes.

However, the actual answer in your case depends on a number of things such as the cause and severity of the dry eye, which treatment you’re considering, and which clinic you’re dealing with. 

In the above video, expert Laser Eye Surgeon Mr Carp explains how London Vision Clinic deals with patients with dry eyes.

Different clinics have different processes for assessing patients before having Laser Eye Surgery. At our clinic, all patients who’re found to have preoperative dry eye undergo an extensive review system that is specifically designed to evaluate the underlying cause of the patient’s dry eye.

Through this process, it is first determined whether or not you’re eligible for treatment. It may be the case that you’re not eligible for LASIK but that you may be a prime candidate for a surface treatment like PRK or LASEK.

It will also be assessed whether or not it is possible to reduce your dry eye through treatment. With cutting-edge technology and industry-leading expertise, we are often able to boost the underlying tear film, resolve the dry eye, and therefore offer patients not only a way to improve their vision but also potentially eliminate their dry eye.

At the very least, by having your eyes assessed at London Vision Clinic, you will have one the most thorough eye exams of your life and find out not just what’s causing your dry eye but what many things you can do to deal with it.

If you’d like to find out more about dry eye and discover if you are suitable for Laser Eye Surgery, drop us a comment below or contact one of our friendly team of eye experts.