Is Lasik Safe During Pregnancy?
Nope. You should stay away from laser eye surgery such as Lasik while you’re pregnant. “I advise against corrective eye surgery within six months of pregnancy, through pregnancy and until two months after finishing breastfeeding,” says Suzanne Merrill-Nach, MD, a San Diego-based OB/GYN. Why? Because pregnancy can really affect your eyes. Hormone changes can make your eyes itchy, red and sensitive to light. Also, your cornea may swell and there’s a decrease in tear production, which makes your eyes dry and uncomfortable. Dry eyes may affect how long it takes you to recover after the procedure. “The hormone changes that affect the cornea could compromise the healing and the success rate of laser eye surgery,” says Merrill-Nach. “I suggest avoiding any elective surgery during pregnancy.” Complications such as preterm labor can arise from surgery, so you might want to avoid the risks if you can postpone the procedure.
Plus, you might experience some temporary vision changes when you’re pregnant, so it’s definitely not a good idea to lay out all the money for laser eye surgery until you know what your prescription will be after pregnancy. Same thing goes for glasses and contacts: It’s not a good idea to get a new prescription while you’re pregnant. Wait it out since your vision will likely change back to normal — or close to it — a few months after you give birth.
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