Can laser eye surgery fix long sightedness?
If you struggle to see things up close but have decent distance vision, you might be long-sighted. This is also called hyperopia.
It can be frustrating, especially if you're constantly reaching for reading glasses or struggling with eye strain at work. So you might be wondering: Can laser eye surgery fix long-sightedness?
The short answer is yes — in many cases, laser eye surgery can correct long-sightedness. Here's how.
In this blog, we’ll explain:
- What hyperopia is
- How laser eye surgery helps
- Who is suitable
- What results to expect
What is long sightedness (hyperopia)?
Long sightedness means you can see distant objects clearly, but nearby objects are blurry.
This happens when:
- Your eye is shorter than average
- The cornea is too flat
As a result, light focuses behind the retina instead of directly on it.
Mild hyperopia might go unnoticed for years. But as you age, your ability to focus up close weakens, and reading or screen work becomes harder.
How does laser eye surgery help?
Laser eye surgery works by reshaping the cornea, the clear front layer of your eye. For long-sighted people, the laser makes the cornea steeper.
This brings the focal point forward so that light focuses directly on your retina. That gives you clearer vision up close.
The most common procedures used are:
We’ll recommend the best one for your eye health and lifestyle.
How effective is it?
Laser eye surgery is very effective at correcting mild to moderate hyperopia. Most people can read, work, and drive without glasses.
If your prescription is high, the results may be slightly less predictable — but we’ll talk you through the likely outcomes.
Who is suitable?
You might be suitable for laser eye surgery if:
- You are over 21
- Your glasses prescription is stable
- You have healthy eyes
- You’re in good general health
We do a full set of tests to confirm if your eyes are right for treatment.
Can I have surgery if I already wear reading glasses?
Yes — if your main issue is long-sightedness, laser eye surgery may help.
However, if you're over 40, you may also have presbyopia (age-related reading difficulty). In that case, we might suggest blended vision or another solution, depending on your needs.
Does it fix both eyes the same way?
Usually, yes — but in some cases, we adjust one eye for distance and one for close-up. This is called blended vision and it can reduce the need for reading glasses in older patients.
We test this setup in advance to make sure it works for you.
How long does it last?
The cornea stays permanently reshaped. But your eyes may still change with age. This is normal and happens whether you’ve had surgery or not.
If your vision changes significantly later in life, we can talk about enhancement or lens-based options.
Wondering if laser surgery could work for your long-sightedness?
Take our free self-test and find out in less than a minute.
Find out if you are suitable for vision correction
Vision correction isn’t suitable for everyone.
The first step is to take the self test so you can find out whether you can benefit.
