I am considering Lasik and would also like to start a family in the near future. How long after Lasik should I wait before becoming pregnant?

You may wish to wait at least three months after LASIK before you become pregnant. Typically, if you need to have an enhancement after LASIK, it would be done at least three months after the procedure. Enhancement may be needed because of residual refractive error or regression. These typically are detected within the first 3 months after the initial procedure and can be corrected. Pregnancy, may change the power of your eye. If you get pregnant within the first 3 months after LASIK and your vision changes, it will be hard to tell whether the change was because of pregnancy or regression, for example. So you would have to wait until after you deliver your baby to have an enhancement, if you need it. I recommend you wait 3 months after LASIK, see if your vision is stable, and if you don't need an enhancement, then go ahead with pregnancy. Of course, you can always get pregnant, deliver the baby, and then have LASIK. Hope this is helpful. Ella G. Faktorovich, M.D., San Francisco, CA.

I agree with Dr Faktorovitch about waiting three
months after your Lasik before becoming pregnant.
If you decide to wait until after pregnancy to
have Lasik you should wait until you finish
nursing as we don't really know how the hormonal
swings may affect your results.
Leonard Friedman MD Washington DC

If you wait the 3 months after lasik and still need an enhancement, do you have to wait another 3 months post-enhancement to try and get pregnant?

yes, the three months is the safety net during which most of the healing and stabilization of the vision is completed. that occurs any time you have laser performed on your eye- first treatment or retreatment.

debra tennen, md