Is LASIK eye surgery safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about LASIK during pregnancy?

1. The FDA lists people who are pregnant or breastfeeding among those more likely to have refractive instability, grouping them with people whose hormones are fluctuating for other reasons such as diabetes, and advises discussing the possible additional risks with your doctor before proceeding. 1
2. Corneal curvature changes increase in late pregnancy and resolve only after birth and the breastfeeding period ends, and pregnancy-related corneal edema also affects corneal thickness and refractive properties along the way. 2
3. Changes in the cornea and the tear-producing lacrimal system during pregnancy can bring on contact lens intolerance in people who normally wear contacts without any trouble. 2
4. New eyeglass and contact lens prescriptions should be avoided during pregnancy and are best postponed until several months after delivery, and refractive surgery itself is described as contraindicated during pregnancy for the same underlying reason: the eye's shape hasn't settled yet. 2
5. A review of eye changes in pregnancy describes corneal curvature changes reaching their peak in late pregnancy, capable of causing a myopic shift, a temporary loss of accommodation, and reduced accommodation amplitude, resolving after childbirth and the breastfeeding period, and advises avoiding new prescriptions and refractive surgery for several months into that period. 3
6. Among people who already had LASIK before becoming pregnant, one study found statistically significant reductions in both central corneal thickness (about 45 micrometers of thinning) and corneal curvature from the third month of pregnancy through 6 weeks postpartum, with vision gains seen during pregnancy partially reversing after birth. 4
7. The same researchers recommend that clinicians managing reproductive-age patients who have already had refractive surgery carefully monitor corneal integrity before, during, and after pregnancy, rather than assuming a prior surgery makes the eye immune to pregnancy's hormonal effects. 4

Is LASIK eye surgery safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Corneal changes are just beginning this early, so if you have a LASIK consultation already scheduled, this is the trimester to reschedule it rather than push forward with measurements that won't hold.
• Second trimester. Corneal curvature changes are described as increasing into late pregnancy, so this trimester likely isn't your eyes' most stable point yet either. Contact lens intolerance can start showing up now if it hasn't already.
• Third trimester. Changes are typically at their peak now. If you wear glasses or contacts, avoid getting a new prescription based on measurements taken this trimester, since guidance says to postpone new prescriptions until several months after delivery, once your eyes have had time to settle.