Can you have a tattoo couple of weeks before laser eye surgery?

Question

I am booked in to have laser eye surgery but I have a tattoo booked 15 days earlier. Is this safe to do or if i should postpone my tattoo? The tattoo is booked in for the 9th January 2018 and will be on my thigh area. The laser eye surgery procedure is on the 24th January 2018.

Jay Bansal, MD · Answer

A tattoo should not affect the outcome of your LASIK directly. However, a study done at John Hopkins University showed that tattooing may trigger an immune response in the body and in the eye (uveitis). To be on the safe side, I would schedule LASIK prior to your tattoo appointment to avoid any unnecessary complications.

Melissa Toyos, MD · Answer

I assume that you are having LASIK and there should be no risk theoretically. Having said that, if you have the option, I would recommend postponing your tattoo to minimize any risk of local or systemic infection that might compromise your LASIK. Hard to be too careful when it comes to your eyes.

Joseph W. King, MD · Answer

There should be no interference from your thigh tattoo to prevent you from having LASIK done within your scheduled time frame.

Can you have a tattoo couple of weeks before laser eye surgery?

Answers (3)