Dry eyes and laser eye surgery?

You are correct in understanding that dry eye can be a common post op side effect of laser vision correction. Not all patients experience it but those who have dry eye before laser are much more likely to have a problem after. Many patients who experience dry eye will find over time they will see improvement in their post op dry eye symptoms. BUT, I have had patients who have had prolonged ongoing severe dry eye symptoms after laser. Although some of the happiest patients I have in my practice are my laser patients, I have a couple of patients who are MISERABLE with their post op dryness. SO ------ If you are doing quite well with your overall vision and are pretty happy with the status quo I would tend to discourage you from pursuing laser vision correction. If you are having significant problems with your current optical correction (such as problems with contact lenses or glasses that are extremely thick and heavy, etc.) then maybe the risk may be worth it. BUT, remember, once you have had laser and if your eyes do become extremely dry there won't be any going back. Hope this helped.

I’ve worn glasses since the 5th grade, contacts since the 7th grade. I had horrible vision- there’s no way I could drive without my contacts. Had laser surgery on both eyes about 5 years ago. I did not have dry eyes before. I am SOOO pleased with the surgery. Now, I did extensive research to find a good doc. There’s so many who advertise the lowest prices- I avoided those. The only downside is the dry eyes. I’m a little ticked that I wasn’t told of that possibility beforehand. I was using the drops and I thought eventually I wouldn’t need them anymore. I now realize that I’ll be using them for the rest of my life. But- the surgery was definitely worth it. I have very close to 20/20 vision and they are still that way. I went through a bunch of different dropf before finding one that works well for me. Gels were recommended- especially at night- and I just found those to be annoying- they created a film and it was uncomfortable. I’ve been using Systane drops by Alcon for about 2 yrs. I place a drop in my eyes upon waking up and then use every 3-4 hours. Not bad at all- my eyes feel really comfortable and my doc has told me that my eyes have enough moisture from the drops. Use the same drops right before bedtime.

One of the tests they perform on possible laser surgery candidates is one that tests how well your eyes produce tears. And depending on the results of that test, you may actually NOT be a good candidate since post-op laser surgery patients typically experience dry eyes, which usually improves at the eyes heal but nonetheless, if you have dry eyes to begin with, chances are they will be much worse post operatively.

Do not let this discourage you in at least talking with an eye surgeon about being a good candidate. Perhaps your eyes are on the dry side, but not to the point where it would disqualify you from having the surgery. There are many other tests they perform to determine whether or not you'd be a good candidate for the surgery and if all the other factors fall into place, the dryness might not be an issue afterall. I've seen MANY happy patients who were absolutely thrilled with their results from their laser surgery. Being an optician, I have lost many patients to the laser so I won't be fitting them with glasses (until they become presbyopic around 40 or so) but they were totally thrilled with the procedure!!!

I worked in an Ophthalmologist's practice a few years ago who had their own surgery center where they performed LASIK, and other refractive surgeries, and also cataract removals, and other procedures on the eyes. If laser surgery is not for you, perhaps there is another form of refractive surgery that may suit you, like PRK.

Good luck!

I had a slight problem with dry eyes (while wearing contacts) prior to getting Lasik surgery in 2004. After Lasik, my dry eyes got 100 times worse. Three years later, I still have to keep eye drops with me at all times, even beside the bed for when I first wake up in the morning. A year or so ago, my eye doctor inserted cones in my tear duct hoping to prevent so much of my natural tears from draining (which didn't work at all!)

Despite all that, I am still happy that I had the Lasik surgery. I went from being nearly blind (as in, could not read a book that was 6 inches from my nose) to 20/15 vision. Dry eyes seem a small price to pay for no longer having to rely on glasses or contacts.

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I will tell you that you are not a good candiate for LASIK or other eye surgeries if you have dry eyes--your dry eye problem will be aggravated.