It depends on what eye condition you have.
Laser surgery is available on the NHS for eye conditions that, without treatment, can lead to loss of vision.
However, laser surgery is not available for eye conditions that can be treated successfully in other ways, such as short- or long-sightedness, which can be treated with glasses or contact lenses.
Which conditions can be treated on the NHS?
Laser surgery is available on the NHS for eye conditions that, without treatment, can lead to loss of vision, including blindness.
These conditions include:
- diabetic retinopathy (damage to blood vessels on the retina, at the back of the eye)
- thickening of the lens capsule (the "pocket" that the lens sits in) after cataract surgery
- some types of age-related macular degeneration
- some specific diseases of the cornea, such as recurrent corneal erosions
Which conditions cannot be treated on the NHS?
Laser eye surgery is widely used to help treat refractive errors such as:
- short-sightedness (myopia)
- long-sightedness (hyperopia)
- astigmatism, where the cornea (front surface of the eye) is not perfectly curved, causing blurred vision
But these conditions are not available for treatment by laser surgery on the NHS because other successful treatments are available, such as wearing glasses or contact lenses.
Finding a clinic for laser eye surgery
If you decide to have laser eye surgery to correct a refractive error, speak to an optician first. They can advise you on the procedure and recommend clinics in your area.
Guidelines from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) say only registered surgeons with specialist training should carry out laser surgery.
Most clinics that do laser surgery for refractive errors will require you to:
- be over 21
- be in good general health
- have healthy eyes
- have had a stable prescription (one with very little change) for the past 2 to 3 years
Read more about having laser eye surgery for refractive errors.
Guidance is also available from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE): Laser surgery for the correction of refractive errors