Can I get laser eye surgery even though I have an astigmatism?

Published on 13th January 2014

What is astigmatism?
Having astigmatism means that the eye isn't perfectly round (like a marble or a ping pong ball). If you held a football in your left hand and a rugby ball in your right hand - just image all the subtle changes in shape to get from one shape to the other - that is a good way of imaging varying degrees of astigmatism.

Most people DO have astigmatism and there are very few people with perfectly round eyes. Most people have a degree of astigmatism, but it might just mean that their eyeball is just slightly off being perfectly round. For the eyeball to be rugby ball shaped would mean quite extreme astigmatism.

Yes you can have laser eye surgery if you have astigmatism, but it is all dependent upon the degree of the astigmatism. You will need to have your consultation with one of our surgeons to determine if you are a suitable candidate for laser eye surgery.

All eye surgical procedures carry a level of risk including not obtaining the desired outcome, through to varying levels of visual loss. Your eye surgeon will discuss the risks and benefits, including ones specific to your circumstances, at the time of your pre-operative consultation.