| It is common that your
eyes will feel dry after LASIK surgery. You may experience a
slight to moderate foreign body sensation and changes in vision. In rare
cases, the dryness can last for several weeks up to months, however artificial
teardrops will provide relief.
A slight overcorrection is commonly achieved after
LASIK surgery and is intended to compensate for the body's own healing
process. This means that nearsighted individuals may have difficulty
reading for the first weeks after LASIK surgery and after age 40 may
temporarily need reading glasses. After LASIK surgery for the correction
of farsightedness, a slight nearsightedness may occur for the first
few days to weeks and may need to be regulated by temporarily wearing
eyeglasses.
With the LASIK procedure, only a part of the cornea is treated, or
in other words "sculpted". The higher your refractive error,
the smaller the part to be treated. The refractive error remains in
the remainder of the cornea. When exposed to day light or bright light
this will not cause any problems, as under the influence of bright light
the pupil is constricted, and light rays will penetrate into the eye
only through the treated part of the cornea. At dusk or in darkness
the pupil will dilate, and an increase in glare, halos, and
double contours may occur. This may result in difficulty driving
at night. However, these changes usually occur with nearsightedness
of more than -5 diopters and with farsightedness only.
In case of bilateral refractive errors, vision problems
may occur in the time period between the surgery of the first eye and
the second eye. We therefore recommend surgery of both eyes on the same
day (or if requested on two consecutive days).
In rare cases, a displacement of the corneal flap
may occur, usually caused by rubbing the eye. This can be treated easily
but requires additional surgery.
Ingrowth of the corneal epithelium, the outermost
layer of the cornea, under the flap is another rare complication. It
may lead to reduced vision and must be removed surgically in some cases.
Epithelial ingrowth occurs up to 6 weeks postoperatively. You should
therefore make sure not to miss your exams.
Other complications include decentration of the laser ablation, halos
and ghosting in dimly lit rooms or at night.
Furthermore, in extremely rare cases, a severe weakening of the cornea
with bulging (keratectasia) and a significant decrease in vision or
an infection with scar formation may occur. In some of these cases,
a corneal transplant may be necessary to restore vision.
Click here to read more on:
 What
can you do to ensure good vision after LASIK surgery?
Which
problems are beyond my control? |