Is LASIK surgery for me if I have a "lazy" eye? My glasses keep the eye straight right now.

I.F.

Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery has grown rapidly in popularity as a way to reduce or eliminate the need for contact lenses or glasses. In this procedure, the surgeon cuts a flap in the cornea and then lifts the flip up so a laser can be used to reshape the inner layers of the cornea. After the reshaping, the flap is repositioned and smoothed into place.

It is important to understand that LASIK is an operation, and, like every surgical procedure, poses a risk of complications. There are a number of uncommon situations that can lead to a mild to moderate reduction of vision. Although rare, it is also possible to go blind with LASIK.

You seem to be asking whether LASIK is safe with a "lazy" eye. The medical term for an eye that turns in or out is strabismus. People tend to develop strabismus as young children, and if the condition is not identified and treated early, can lead to permanent reduction in vision (amblyopia).

LASIK cannot fix the underlying problem of amblyopia, so it would not improve vision in your "lazy" eye. Still, a person with amblyopia in one eye might consider having LASIK performed on the good eye. The surgeon must carefully weigh whether performing LASIK is in the best interest of the patient because even a small complication, such as an infection or inflammation, could lead to permanent vision loss. Personally, at this point in time, I do not recommend LASIK for people with only one good eye.

Also, you do not say if your eyeglasses contain prisms, which can help fix the double vision of a person with crossed eyes. People who requires prisms in their glasses will still need prisms following LASIK, so the procedure may not be appropriate for that reason.