Can diabetics have laser eye surgery?

If you have diabetes and wear glasses or contacts, you might be wondering:
“Can I get laser eye surgery?”

The answer is: yes—but with important conditions.

At Elite LASIK & Cataract in Indianapolis, we regularly evaluate patients with diabetes for LASIK and PRK. Many go on to enjoy life-changing results. But diabetes affects the body’s healing process and eye health, so we approach these cases with extra care.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re living with diabetes and considering laser vision correction.

Is LASIK safe for diabetics?

Yes—for many people with well-controlled diabetes, LASIK can be a safe and effective option. But a few important things must be considered first:

• Your blood sugar must be well controlled
• Your diabetes must not have caused significant eye complications
• Your prescription should be stable

Diabetes affects how your eyes respond to healing. If your blood sugar is poorly controlled, the risk of post-op complications (like dry eye or infection) goes up.

What are the risks for diabetics?

While many diabetic patients have successful outcomes, there are additional risks:

• Slower healing due to poor blood flow
• Increased risk of dry eye symptoms
• Unstable vision if blood sugar levels fluctuate
• Higher chance of infection or delayed corneal recovery

This doesn’t mean you can’t have surgery—it just means we’ll take extra steps to ensure your eyes are healthy and ready.

What about diabetic eye disease?

If you have diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema, you may not be a candidate for LASIK or PRK. These conditions affect the back of the eye (the retina), which isn’t corrected by laser surgery.

We’ll perform a full retinal exam before recommending any vision correction procedure.

What tests will I need?

During your consultation, we’ll do:

• Corneal scans
• Retinal imaging
• Blood sugar history review
• Prescription stability check
• Tear film testing (for dry eye risk).

We work closely with your primary care provider or endocrinologist if needed to ensure your diabetes is well-managed before moving forward.

Is PRK better than LASIK for diabetics?

Sometimes, yes. PRK (which removes the cornea’s outer layer and reshapes the surface) may be recommended if your corneas are thin or if your surgeon feels it’s safer given your diabetes.

Recovery from PRK is a bit longer, but it can be a better fit in certain cases.

What if I’m not a candidate?

If laser eye surgery isn’t the right fit for you, we’ll talk through alternatives like:

• Implantable contact lenses (ICLs)
• Refractive lens exchange (RLE)
• Continuing with glasses or upgraded contacts

We’ll help you weigh the options that work best with your eye health and diabetes management.

What’s the first step?

It starts with a simple, no-pressure self-test.

Take our quick suitability self-test to find out if laser eye surgery might be safe for you. If it looks like a good match, we’ll invite you in for a comprehensive eye exam.