Can short sightedness be corrected permanently?
The focusing error can be corrected permanently by laser surgery in suitable eyes, in the sense that the corneal reshaping does not reverse. The eye can still change with age, so the prescription can drift later in life.
- Subject
- Vision problems
- Topic
- Myopia (short sightedness)
- Kind of question
- Other questions
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
Higher short sightedness also carries a slightly higher background risk of retinal problems regardless of whether surgery is performed, which is an argument for continuing regular eye examinations rather than treating correction as the end of the story.
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Vision problems & prescriptions in Myopia (short sightedness) . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
Subjects this question touches
The pages that answer the subject behind the question, rather than the question itself.
- Condition Myopia (short sightedness)
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)
The equivalent clinical reference chapter for LASIK, used so that comparisons describe both procedures symmetrically.
Used for How LASIK creates and manages a corneal flap; LASIK complication categories.
Link checked 22 September 2026