Common Side Effects of Lasik Eye Surgery

Although Lasik surgery is considered a safe, predictable and effective procedure, inevitably there will be some side effects after surgery. Some problems may disappear within a few days of surgery whilst other side effects may take longer to rectify.

Unclear Vision

After Lasik surgery, patients’ sight will be slightly blurred during the healing process. Sight gradually improves over the following weeks and months to reach its optimum. This is perfectly normal.

Discomfort

Most patients experience minor discomfort and a gritty or sandy feeling in the eye immediately after the Lasik procedure. This is to be expected and can easily be soothed by using lubricating eye drops every morning and additionally during the day when necessary. Eye drops will also aid recovery and speed up the healing process.

Haze

After Lasik surgery, some patients find they suffer from the formation of a haze. This may be caused by the eye secreting material which collects on the anterior corneal stroma. A moderate amount of haze would not affect vision and a tiny number of patients (less than 1%) suffer from a serious haze. The haze is aggravated by ultraviolet light and sunlight, so wear sunglasses when outdoors, particularly in the weeks following Lasik surgery.

Generally a haze will resolve itself in a few weeks or months. Increasing the use of steroid drops and irrigating under the Lasik flap will also help to reduce the haze.

Corneal abrasions

Even rarer is the possibility of a corneal abrasion. A small breakdown in the epithereal layer may develop during the Lasik procedure but this can be rectified by the wearing of a bandage contact lens for 1-3 days after surgery. The epithelium grows back so quickly that the corneal abrasion will heal in that time.

Night Halos and Starbursts

A common side effect in many Lasik patients is for lights at night to appear as halos or starbursts. This is caused as the pupil dilates and peripheral rays are scattered on the retina. This problem gradually rectifies itself after 3-6 months. Patients should take extra care when driving at night as brake lights and traffic lights may be quite dazzling. Wearing darkened glasses when driving may help reduce the problem.

Central Islands

Other rare side effects include the formation of a raised central island. This occurs when part of the treated area receives less laser energy and remains higher than the surrounding tissue. This usually rectifies itself, or a further laser treatment may be necessary to treat the raised area.

Corneal Flap Wrinkles

The wrinkling of the corneal flap may also distort vision and may require further laser treatment to smooth it out, but once again this is a very rare complication, usually caused by a patient rubbing their eyes.