Can I Have Laser Eye Surgery if I Have A Retinal Hole or Macular Hole?

The macula is the part of the eye that provides us with the sharp, central vision we need for things like driving, reading, and seeing fine details.

You may never know or need to know it exists. That is, unless it goes wrong and you start to have problems with one of its above functions.

As a small break in the macula — which sits in the centre of the eye’s light-sensitive tissue, the retina — a macular hole can cause you to experience blurred and distorted central vision.

Typically, as they are related to the ageing process, macular holes appear in people over the age of 60. How much it affects your vision depends on the stage it is at, as well as the size and location of the hole on the retina.

Distortion in straight-ahead vision, such as if straight lines or objects begin to look bent or wavy, are symptoms of a macular hole and a sign you should seek professional advice and treatment. Especially as if left untreated, a macular hole can lead to a detached retina — which puts you at risk of losing your sight.

Laser Eye Surgery cannot treat a macular hole. However, if you have the condition under control, then it may be able to help improve your vision.

Having Laser Eye Surgery with a macular hole

If you have recently experienced one of these problems, you should be receiving specific care and advice from your eye care professional to manage or treat it.

The laser eye treatments offered here at the London Vision Clinic are suitable for the vast majority of patients as a way to rid them of the need to wear contact lenses and glasses. And so, if you do have an eye problem such as astigmatism, shortsightedness, longsightedness, or presbyopia, which results in the need to wear contact lenses, reading glasses, varifocals or bifocals, then Laser Eye Surgery is likely for you.

An industry-leading 95 percent of patients that come to the London Vision Clinic are suitable for LASIK eye surgery. That being said, some patients do have certain conditions that make them unsuitable for the procedure. If this is the case for you, there are other forms of laser eye treatment, such as PRK/LASEK eye surgery, or High Profile and PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision treatments, which may work better.

The bottom line is, if you have a macular hole and are interested in having Laser Eye Surgery, your chances are just as good as the next person. The only way to know for sure is to reach out and speak with one of our expert clinic coordinators.