One of the most common questions Dr. Walton receives from athletes during a LASIK consultation involves whether participating in contact sports will impact their procedure. The good news is that you can absolutely play contact sports after LASIK with minimal risk. However, you’ll need to take some time off in order to let your eyes properly heal.
It’s important to wait until the corneal flap created during LASIK fully heals before you resume playing your favorite contact sports. This will minimize your risk of LASIK complications. During your follow-up visits, Dr. Walton will monitor your recovery to determine when it’s safe to resume participating in athletic activities. Once you’re given the clearance for impact sports, you still should take precautions, such as the use of protective goggles, until your eyes have fully healed.
If you’re still pondering whether LASIK is right for you, consider all the times you’ve had a contact lens jarred loose from a particularly hard hit, or your glasses got smudged by sweat or dirt. After the surgery, you can toss corrective lenses aside.
Here’s a short list of athletes to undergo LASIK surgery:
- LeBron James
- Tiger Woods
- Greg Maddux
- Wade Boggs
- Tiki Barber
- Troy Aikman
All of these players enjoyed All-Pro or Hall of Fame careers, and clear vision most likely played a crucial role in their success. More importantly, they were all able to resume competing at an extremely high level after LASIK.
Dr. Walton uses the Allegretto Wave laser, the most advanced laser available for LASIK. With this technology, 100% of his patients have been able to achieve 20/20 vision or better. This will help give you the edge you need to perform at the highest possible level in your favorite contact sports.
Please contact Dr. Chris Walton using the form on this page or call 251-341-3385 today to schedule your free LASIK consultation. We serve patients in Pensacola, Florida, Mobile, Alabama and throughout the Gulf Coast region.
