Experiencing Dry Eyes After Lasik
As with anything in life, there are complications and risks. Dry eyes after Lasik is one of the risks associated with the procedure of Lasik eye surgery. If you experience dry eyes after Lasik, you know how it can be to have that type of symptom get in the way of your daily life. With the right medication, perhaps some eye drops and pills, you can overcome the dry eyes after Lasik and get on the way to recovery in no time. Without the recovery elements in place, however, you might be in for more complications as the results that come from dry eyes could get in the way of the natural healing process of your eyes.
Your eyes take time to recover and recuperate from the Lasik procedure. With dry eyes, you may experience a delay in that recovery time and may need to have some further assistance in getting to the point at which your eyes can recover from the procedure. As you learn more about the procedure and about dry eyes after the procedure, you can start talking to your doctor before the procedure about what to do if you experience dry eyes after Lasik and what to do after you cure your dry eyes. There is a policy and a procedure to follow that most doctors outline before any procedure of this type. Make sure you go over the procedure with your doctor.
Working Through It
A lot of doctors will not operate on someone that they feel is a high risk for dry eyes. If you have experienced dry eyes before you head in for a Lasik procedure, the doctor will likely disqualify you from any Lasik treatments or any other refractive procedures for your eyes. With this knowledge in mind, the doctor can make the best possible decision for your eyes and for your health. This is what is best for you and while you may feel that you would rather have the eye operation, the doctor is in charge of risk assessment and your health primarily.
It is common to experience dry eyes after Lasik. The important issue about the experience is to what degree and for what duration, so consider this when you talk to your doctor. The degree of dry eyes in most cases is not significant enough to impede your activity or cause any other complications. Most dry eye symptoms will resolve themselves automatically with a small period of time, so patience is your best ally. If that is not the case, you may want to consult your physician for assistance.
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7 Responses to “Experiencing Dry Eyes After Lasik”
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Not as a patient (I'm not a good candidate even if I considered the risks acceptable)
But as a practitioner I've had to do my best for a good number of people whose best possible vision had been made worse by refractive surgery:
visible scarring, irregular astigmatism, dry eyes and tear problems, glare affecting night driving… I've seen them all personally.
Bear in mind that this is a very small percentage: in one study of people who had had it done, 96% were sufficiently positive about the outcome, even if they noticed some degree of side effect, that they would recommend it to a friend.
Links added… I couldn't find the original page where the 96 (or 97)% despite problems caught my eye, but I've been able to turn up similar…
" 29% reported reduced night vision – however, it's important to note that 97% of patients indicated they would [have]decided to have LASIK again."
I lost an eye from that operation! However I have a crystal clear vision from the other, so I would say go for it…
I'm just kidding Lasik is a safe procedure.
It just annoys me that people are afraid of it (since it is one of the safest operations currently) while they don't have second thoughts for breast implants, for instance
Most of the complications from LASIK come from not leaving enough corneal thickness after the procedure. The remaining thickness after the surgery is calculated by subtracting the thickness of the flap and the amount of cornea removed from the thickness of the original cornea. In LASEK, the thickness of the flap is much less. However if you started with a thin or weak cornea or had to remove a lot of tissue because of a strong prescription, you could get some of the same bad results as with LASIK.
I would wait till it's more common place procedure. I haven't heard much about it. This sounds like a more complex procedure than lasik or it's predecesors. I'd consider waiting. Also, depending on your age you may want to wait till you are somewhere in your 40's where they can work on your close and far vision. I don't know your age.
You're describing a couple of issues:
(1) It hurts to wear glasses when you're sinuses are going crazy.
I've had the same experience; I just couldn't tolerate the weight of glasses during sinus episodes. I started wearing contacts. If you get a lot of mucus in your eyes during these times, daily disposable contacts would be the best approach.
(2) Your vision fluctuates as a result of sinus episodes.
LASIK is not going to fix this. Think about it. Your glasses are a particular Rx, which does not work well when your sinuses cause vision fluctuation. Your LASIK will be a specific correction as well, just like any contacts or eyeglasses, and it may not sharply correct your vision during times when sinuses are causing deviation.
(3) You sometimes have dry eyes.
People who are already prone to dry eye syndrome may not be good candidates for LASIK, because it can exacerbate this problem.
LASIK is a great procedure for many people. But it's not a cure-all and you need to have the proper expectations about what it will do. I'm not sure it's the right thing for your situation.
Yeah you'll have the red eyes for awhile.
Most people I've known that have had it have had no complications, just don't be touching your eyes or letting them get touched. If it gets messed up before it heals you have to go get it done again.