Years ago, back in 2015, when the vision in my "lazy eye" was very poor and my strabismus was more obvious, my friends frequently asked me why I didn’t undergo laser eye surgery to solve my problem. Initially, their questions caught my attention, and I began to ask myself: Can LASIK fix a lazy eye?
If you, like me and the rest of the Equal-Eyes Team, have been battling the frustration of lazy eye, also known as amblyopia, you’re likely to have had the same doubt and are on a quest for real information and insights, devoid of the typical eye clinic spiel. So, let's dive in.
How Does LASIK Relate to Lazy Eye?
Here's the kicker: LASIK can’t fix the neurological issues that cause a lazy eye. However, it can indirectly help with the overall vision system in cases of refractive errors. But if the "weaker eye" is suppressed due to the lazy eye, it won't make a significant difference in increasing binocular vision. Let’s unpack that a bit.
Clarifying the Background of the Problem
Lazy eye (amblyopia) is a neurological condition where the brain favors one eye over the other. This can occur when one eye is misaligned, more nearsighted, farsighted, or has astigmatism compared to the other eye. Essentially, the brain decides that one eye is superior, leading to decreased vision in the less favored eye. The key takeaway here is that lazy eye is a condition that occurs at a neurological level.
Understanding How LASIK Works
LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis) is a surgical procedure that reshapes the cornea to correct vision problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It’s all about getting that light to focus correctly on your retina.
Understanding the Causes of Lazy Eye
There are two main culprits behind lazy eye:
- Strabismus: Misalignment of the eyes.
- Different Refractive Errors: One eye being more nearsighted, farsighted, or having more astigmatism than the other.
So, even in cases of lazy eye caused by refractive errors, LASIK can't help recover vision in the lazy eye.
When Might LASIK Help with Lazy Eye?
While LASIK can't tackle the root neurological problem, it can help in specific scenarios:
- Severe Refractive Error in One Eye: If one eye has a significantly higher refractive error, LASIK can help balance the vision, making it easier for the brain to use both eyes equally (but will not make no difference if the weaker eye is being suppressed).
- Anisometropia: This is a condition where each eye has a different refractive error. LASIK can correct these differences, helping the brain to use both eyes more effectively.
- Contact Lens Issues: If you can't wear contact lenses safely or successfully, LASIK might be your best bet to correct those refractive errors.
The Cure May Be Worse Than the Disease
If you have been considering LASIK as part of your battle against lazy eye, I strongly suggest you meditate carefully. First of all, it is an investment of over $2,000 for both eyes, and after that, your amblyopic eye will not get any better. Besides the economic factor, I've seen strabismic and amblyopic people who have taken LASIK, and their strabismus tends to become more obvious, so aesthetically, it is not a good move either.
But don’t panic, there are other Promising Treatments for Lazy Eye
While LASIK might help in specific cases, there are other treatments available:
- Glasses or Optical Correction: Corrects refractive errors to help the brain use the weaker eye.
- Patching or Occlusion Therapy (better for children): Forces the brain to use the weaker eye by covering the stronger one.
- Vision Therapy (better for adults): Exercises and activities designed to improve the coordination between the brain and the weaker eye.
VR Taking Vision Therapy to the Next Level
This is a new hope for adult strabismus and lazy eye

Whether you decide to undergo LASIK surgery or not, vision therapy is the treatment that has demonstrated the best results for adult lazy eye. You can benefit from the latest at-home virtual reality Vision Therapy solutions. Lazy eye is a binocular dysfunction, so you will surely need vision therapy to really solve the problem, start using both of your eyes, and achieve stereopsis. At AvalonWeb.com.au, we are proud to offer Equal-Eyes, our innovative VR vision therapy for adult lazy eye and binocular vision dysfunctions. This program provides an engaging platform for patients to improve their visual skills and overcome challenges associated with amblyopia and strabismus.
Conclusion
In summary, while LASIK surgery can help correct refractive errors, it does not address the neurological basis of lazy eye (amblyopia). Instead, promising treatments like vision therapy, optical correction, and occlusion therapy provide more effective solutions. Virtual reality vision therapy, such as the innovative Equal-Eyes program from AvalonWeb.com.au, offers a modern and engaging approach to improving visual skills and overcoming challenges associated with amblyopia and strabismus. Investing in vision therapy can pave the way for lasting improvements and a better quality of life.
FAQs
Costs vary based on treatment type. Glasses, contacts, and vision therapy have their own costs. With our VR vision therapy solution "Equal-Eyes" you can get lifetime visual therapy for just 149.99 USD for the Equal-Eyes app and around 399.99 for the VR Headset. Discover more about our prices.
Not typically, but if your lazy eye is very weak in terms of visual acuity, this procedure will much probably make your strabismus worse. It's crucial to have a thorough examination to ensure LASIK is suitable for your case.
Yes, there are enough success cases that proved that it's never too late to treat lazy eye and that there are new ways to fix lazy eye in adults.