Yes — with some conditions. Laser eye treatment is generally safe for athletes, but the type of sport you play, the type of laser procedure you choose, and the timing of your surgery all play an important role in safety and effectiveness.

Let’s break it down by the kind of sport:

⇒Low-contact athletes (runners, cyclists, swimmers):

If your sport doesn’t involve much physical contact — like running, swimming, cycling, or even golf — laser eye surgery is usually very safe.

Both LASIK and SMILE are suitable because there’s minimal risk of any eye injury or trauma. The chances of issues like flap displacement after LASIK are extremely low because there’s no direct impact on the eyes. Many of my patients in these sports recover quickly and return to training within a week.

• Real Example: A triathlete I treated chose SMILE and was amazed at how quickly she got back into her swim-bike-run routine. No more fogged-up goggles or lost contacts mid-race!

⇒High-contact athletes (boxers, rugby players, martial artists):

For athletes in sports where there’s a risk of getting hit in the face or eye, LASIK is usually not the first choice. That’s because LASIK creates a flap in the cornea, and in rare cases, a strong impact can displace this flap — even years later.

Instead, we recommend:

• SMILE: It involves a much smaller incision and no flap, which makes it more stable during high-impact situations.
• PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy): This is a surface-based procedure without any flap. It takes a bit longer to heal, but it’s the safest in terms of avoiding flap complications.