What happens if I wear contact lenses to my eye examination?
The consequence is usually that the measurements are less reliable and may need repeating, which can mean a second appointment rather than a wrong result.
- Subject
- Glasses & contacts
- Topic
- Lenses before assessment or surgery
- Kind of question
- What is…
- Procedures
- Contact lenses
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
For a routine sight test the effect is small. For a surgical assessment it matters, because the corneal shape is one of the measurements the surgical plan is built from.
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Glasses & contact lenses in Lenses before assessment or surgery . 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.
- Non-surgical option Contact lenses
- Non-surgical option Glasses
- Comparison Glasses vs contact lenses
- Place Eye tests in Dubai
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.
- The Royal College of Ophthalmologists
The UK professional body for ophthalmologists, which publishes standards and commissioning guidance for refractive surgery services.
Used for What good preoperative assessment and consent look like.
Link checked 22 September 2026