# Can you have LASIK eye surgery twice?

Source page: https://www.kudretgozistanbul.com/en/blog/eye-laser-treatments/can-you-have-lasik-eye-surgery-twice

**Author:** Kudret Eye İstanbul | **Medical Approval:** Op. Dr. Mehmet Ali Özdil | **Date:** 2026-09-09

> **Summary:** A second LASIK is often possible, but it depends on why vision has changed, how much corneal thickness remains and the overall health of the eye. When a repeat LASIK is not safe, alternatives include PRK / No Touch laser, an ICL, a multifocal lens or simply glasses.

## Quick Facts
- **Key criterion:** Sufficient remaining corneal thickness, measured to a precision of one hundredth of a millimeter.
- **Prescription:** Must not have changed for at least a year.
- **After 40:** Near-vision loss is presbyopia, not a failure of the first surgery.

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## Why Vision Can Change Years After LASIK
A slight change years later does not mean the first surgery failed.
- **Regression:** The eye tends to return partly to its old shape, more often after very high prescriptions. It is usually a small shift, for example an eye corrected from -6.00 to -0.75 diopters later.
- **Presbyopia:** After the age of 40 the natural lens loses flexibility, so someone who had LASIK at 25 may need reading glasses at 45. Laser solutions such as Presbyond exist, but because the prescription is quite likely to return within a few years, an intraocular lens (IOL) operation is generally recommended for near vision after 40.
- **Undercorrection or progressing myopia:** Rare; a particular risk in people operated in their early twenties before the prescription settled.

## Who Can Have a Second LASIK?
- **Corneal thickness:** Enough tissue must remain to safely remove another layer; a too-thin cornea weakens and can lead to undesirable results.
- **Eye health:** Early cataract, suspected glaucoma or severe dry eye rule out a second LASIK. With early cataract, a multifocal lens surgery that corrects both cataract and prescription in one go is recommended instead.
- **Timing:** If the prescription is still steadily increasing or decreasing, it is best to wait.

## Alternatives
- **PRK / No Touch laser:** Flapless; the epithelium is removed and the laser is applied directly. Especially useful for thin corneas. Recovery may be a day or two more painful than LASIK, but the resulting vision quality is the same.
- **Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL):** A permanent lens placed behind the iris, in front of the natural lens without touching it; can correct very high myopia and astigmatism. Good for young people whose cornea is unsuitable for any laser treatment.
- **Multifocal lens:** For older patients with cataract, replacing the natural lens with one that sees far, intermediate and near.
- **Glasses:** For very minor impairment, a low prescription pair used only for night driving or presentations may be the most logical, risk-free option. Sometimes the right choice is to do nothing.