Does it affect vision after getting Lasik for the second time?

Yes, it does. And it may well not be for the better -although that is not usually the case fortunately.

LASIK is the microsurgical thinning and reshaping of the cornea to improve its focusing power on the retina. The more nearsightedness being corrected, the more the cornea ends up thinner and irregular as compared to its original state. While this is usually an acceptable trade-off for most situations, there is always at least a small degree of induced irregularity that subtly degrades the overall quality of visual performance -even if the distance visual acuity is being improved. While rarely much of an issue, this degradation is fairly permanent. To continue to have repeat LASIK or even PRK treatments is to amplify the collective effect of these irregularities and the associated decline in visual quality.

This is not to say that "enhancements" or re-treatments are never a good idea, but rather that they should definitely not be considered harmless or routine. It is no doubt for this reason the FDA has not listed re-treatments as a recognized use of most lasers used in LASIK.

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