Should LASIK Be Considered a Performance Enhancer?

Professional athletes are always looking for any way to gain an extra edge in their performance. In recent years, this has led to rampant cheating through steroid use in many professional sports. In particular, Major League Baseball has come under extreme scrutiny due to confirmed allegations of widespread steroid use.

Just about every major sport has now banned performance enhancing drugs to ensure fair levels of competition. However, some people have come to question other procedures which may be considered "performance enhancers."

In particular, LASIK surgery has been discussed as something which may fall into this category. After all, many professional athletes have undergone LASIK in recent years, and the goal of the procedure is to improve their performance.

In fact, LASIK technology has developed to the point where athletes can often achieve vision that is better than 20/20. In sports such as baseball or golf, it is obvious how this would provide an athlete with a serious advantage. So the question remains, is there something wrong with undergoing a procedure such as LASIK which may provide an athlete with an extra edge over the competition?

I think the main issue to resolve is the question of whether or not athletes are actually receiving an advantage over their competitors. Before surgery, these athletes experienced poor vision which negatively impacted their ability to compete in comparison with athletes who have 20/20 vision. You can just as easily make the argument that LASIK is simply leveling the playing field.

This debate will most likely endure for years before a conclusive decision is reached. However, it is doubtful that most professional sports leagues will ever be able to justify banning a medical procedure simply because it improves performance. Until that time, you can expect many professional athletes to continue undergoing LASIK.

Please contact the LASIK Directory to find an experienced LASIK surgeon in your area.