Many people considering laser vision correction hope it does more than free them from glasses or contact lenses. A common belief is that procedures like LASIK might also protect the eyes from future diseases. It’s an understandable assumption, after all, clearer vision feels like healthier eyes. But vision correction and disease prevention are not the same thing.
To make an informed decision, it’s important to understand what laser eye surgery can realistically do and what medical research actually shows.
To understand what these surgeries can and cannot do, we first have to look at what they actually change. LASIK surgery, PRK, and SMILE are all “refractive” surgeries. This means they focus on the cornea, the clear front window of your eye.
These procedures are designed to correct refractive errors like nearsightedness symptoms (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism. They change how light hits your retina, but they don’t change the internal “machinery” or the health of the rest of the eye.
The biggest misconception is that poor vision and eye disease are the same thing. They aren’t. Refractive errors are usually a matter of the shape of your eyeball or cornea. In contrast, most serious eye diseases, like glaucoma, macular degeneration, or cataracts, are caused by:
Correcting your vision with a laser is like giving a car a high-end paint job and a new windshield. It looks great and helps you see the road better, but it doesn’t prevent the engine (the retina) or the battery (the optic nerve) from wearing out over time.
The short answer is no. Laser vision correction does not prevent the onset of future eye diseases.
Clinical research shows that while your dependence on glasses changes, your biological risk for age-related conditions remains exactly the same as it was before surgery. Because the laser only treats the cornea, the internal structures of your eye, like the lens, the retina, and the optic nerve, remain untouched and subject to the same aging processes.
If you are highly nearsighted (high myopia), your eyeball is physically longer than average. This “stretching” makes the retina thinner and more prone to tears or detachment. Research confirms that LASIK does not shorten the eyeball. Even if you now have 20/20 vision, you still have a “myopic eye” anatomically, meaning your risk of retinal issues remains the same.
Cataracts occur when the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy. This happens behind the cornea where LASIK is performed. LASIK does not prevent cataracts, nor does it cause them. However, it’s vital to tell your surgeon about your LASIK history if you ever need cataract surgery, as the reshaped cornea requires special calculations to ensure your new artificial lens is accurate.
Glaucoma is often linked to high internal eye pressure. One important thing research highlights is that LASIK thins the cornea. This can cause standard eye pressure tests to give “falsely low” readings. It doesn’t mean you have a higher risk of glaucoma, but it does mean your doctor needs to be aware of your surgery to monitor your eye health accurately.
While it isn’t a medical “shield” against disease, laser vision correction offers significant lifestyle and safety advantages:
Not everyone is a candidate for laser eye surgery. Patients with thin corneas, unstable prescriptions, or existing conditions like severe dry eye or early-stage glaucoma should approach these procedures with caution. A comprehensive evaluation by an experienced ophthalmologist is the only way to ensure the surgery won’t exacerbate an underlying issue.
Perhaps the most important takeaway is this: LASIK is not a “get out of eye exams free” card. Because the surgery doesn’t prevent eye diseases, you still need regular check-ups. Your eye doctor needs to monitor your eye pressure, check the health of your retina, and look for early signs of cataracts or macular degeneration, just like they would if you still wore glasses.
Laser vision correction is a life-changing investment in your freedom and daily clarity. While it doesn’t act as a preventative “cure” for eye diseases, it remains one of the safest and most successful elective procedures in medicine. Understanding its limitations is the best way to enjoy your new vision while staying proactive about your long-term eye health.
Before changing your eyes permanently, it’s worth asking the right questions. Dr. Lav Kochgaway takes a measured, research-based approach to laser vision correction, explaining benefits, limitations, and future eye health considerations.
Book a detailed eye evaluation to decide with confidence, not assumptions.
Laser vision correction reshapes the cornea to improve current vision, but natural changes from aging, eye growth, or health conditions can still affect eyesight over time.
LASIK improves visual clarity by correcting refractive errors, but it does not prevent eye diseases that may cause vision loss or increase long-term blindness risk.
The corneal reshaping from laser eye surgery is permanent, though vision may change later due to aging, hormonal shifts, or development of eye conditions.
Eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, or retinal conditions can develop after LASIK because the procedure does not alter disease-related processes inside the eye.