Can cataract surgery and LASIK be performed at the same time?

There would be no need to do this, even if it were possible!

The cornea is only one of two "focusing elements" in the human eye, the other being the natural lens (just behind the iris and pupil). LASIK works by decreasing the focus of the cornea through thinning it with a laser. But this can also be accomplished in the selection of the lens implant Rx in cataract/IOL surgery. For example, if the natural lens has a Rx of +20 diopters and you are nearsighted with a glasses Rx of -5 diopters, you can get almost the same effect as LASIK without touching the cornea -just use a lens implant with a Rx of +20-5 = +15 diopters.

_Written by J. Trevor Woodhams, M.D. - Chief of Surgery, Woodhams Eye Clinic