Is It Safe To Have Laser Eye Surgery During Pregnancy? Experts explain

Laser eye surgery is more affordable than ever, and many adults are looking to take the plunge. (Imagine not taking your glasses off as soon as you wake up.) But are everyone okay? I can’t think of anything more convenient for mothers than having better eyesight, but is it safe to have laser eye surgery while pregnant? It’s understandable that you want to make your life easier before a baby arrives, but obviously you’ll want to know the risks.

The body undergoes enormous changes during pregnancy, from changes in your blood volume, at increase your sense of smell, up to change the texture of your hair. It would make sense, then, that something could also happen to your eyes when your body is so flooded with hormones. It turns out that your eyes can and To do change when you are pregnant, and this is a concern when deciding whether or not to have laser eye surgery during pregnancy. Benjamin Bert, MD, an ophthalmologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, told Romper that due to the eye changes that occur during pregnancy, it’s really not a good idea to have laser eye surgery or LASIK surgery for during the pregnancy.

“The cornea – the clear front surface of the eye – is what is operated on in LASIK surgery. The surgery uses lasers to change the shape of the cornea, so it is important that the shape of the cornea is stable,” says -he. “During pregnancy the cornea may change – usually it swells a bit – so it is not recommended to have LASIK at this time.”

Howard R. Krauss, MD, a surgical neuro-ophthalmologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, agrees, telling Romper, “The ideal time for laser vision correction for women who are considering pregnancy is a few months before pregnancy, provided they are otherwise a good candidate for the procedure and are not undergoing fertility treatment. Hormonal changes, whether associated with fertility treatment, pregnancy, or breastfeeding, can cause dryness and / or fluctuations in vision, resulting in less than a laser vision correction result. ideal.”

It is also important to determine whether or not you choose to breastfeed if you are hoping to have laser eye surgery at some point. “LASIK is also not recommended when you are breastfeeding, as it can also cause changes to the eye,” says Bert. “It is best to wait until the end of pregnancy and breastfeeding before scheduling a consultation for LASIK surgery.”

So it looks like you’re going to have to keep these glasses on for a bit longer. Thank goodness there are so many cute pairs, right?

Experts:

Benjamin Bert, MD, ophthalmologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley

Howard R. Krauss, MD, surgical neuro-ophthalmologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica