Can I have Lasik and still participate in contact sports?

When we perform Lasik surgery we create a flap of the cornea which is clear tissue on the front of the eye. The concern with contact sports is that you could get hit in the eye and possibly dislodge this flap. This can be possibly avoided with proper eye protection during these sporting activities. Most surgeons recommend that if you are going to participate in contact sports, such as boxing, that a technique which doesn't involve the creation of a flap be performed. This is usually Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) where the superficial epithelial tissue is removed prior to correcting your myopia and astigmatism with the laser or LASEK where the epithelial tissue is lifted, your myopia and astigmatism corrected with the laser and the epithelial tissue replaced. With boxing I therefore recommend PRK or LASEK.

If you are going to participate in contact sports, surface laser (LASEK, PRK, Epi-LASIK) is much safer. I can't imagine performing LASIK on a prizefighter given the risks.