LASIK is normally a very successful surgery. However, there are side effects that you should understand.

LASIK Side Effects That May Occur at Surgery

Eye Bruises or Redness

Surface bruises or redness of the eye may occur, as a result of application of the suction ring, when creating the flap. This is of cosmetic nature only and has no bearing on visual outcome. This will typically resolve in about a week without treatment.

LASIK Side Effects That May Occur After Surgery

Need for an “Enhancement Procedure”

The most common side effect is the need to undergo an “enhancement procedure” for over or under correction of the treatment goal. Various studies indicate as high as 10 to 25% incidence of enhancement, depending on the source. The higher the degree of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, the greater the probability that re-treatment may be needed.

Although we do not discourage more challenging higher treatments, our enhancement rate still remains quite low at approximately 3% for custom LASIK. If enhancement is necessary, we recommend we wait three to six months after the initial treatment, at which time a special technique is used to elevate the previously created flap before application of additional laser is applied for the final correction. The flap is then reapplied and heals back into its natural position much in the same way as the initial treatment.

Dry-Eye or Dryness

Dryness of the surface of the eye or dry-eye feeling may occur after LASIK due to what most Ophthalmologist believe is a diminished blink reflex, due to reduced corneal sensation. These symptoms are generally temporary in nature and usually respond to frequent instillation of artificial tears, lubricating eye drops, or Restasis use. IntraLase Bladeless LASIK has been shown to reduce the frequency and incidence of dry eye, as a result of a more controlled thinner flap creation.

Night Glare or Halos

Patients may experience temporary night glare or halos after LASIK. This condition typically occurs in patients who already experience some of these symptoms prior to LASIK.

In our experience, it is extremely rare for night glare, halos or diminished night vision to persist. Pre-existing large pupils may contribute to these symptoms. We make special effort to screen patients, pre-op, for these predisposing factors and inform patients of these potential side effects. We will use appropriate treatment options now available to eliminate or reduce night vision symptoms with the latest “true” Wavefront guided VISX CustomVue Excimer laser.

For patients with larger pupils, “true” custom treatment is highly recommended as having distinct advantages over other types of laser treatments. Be cautious with claims that the Wavefront “optimized” Allegretto Wave Laser addresses night vision symptoms to the same level as a “true” Wavefront “guided” system, such as the VISX CustomVue. The Allegretto Wave Laser does not address most higher order aberrations, which often contribute to night vision complaints. Only VISX CustomVue has been shown in clinical trials to substantially reduce the incidence of these symptoms.

LASIK Side Effects also include Laser Eye Surgery Risks