Side Effects

This is an article on the potential side effects of laser eye surgery. If you have decided to perform a laser eye surgery, this article is not meant to be a wet blanket and discourage you from undertaking the surgery. Instead, this article provides a general awareness on the possible side effects of laser eye surgery so that you are more informed and hopefully more prepared in your laser eye surgery.

Temporary Side Effects Of Laser Eye Surgery

Once you have undergone the surgery, there are certain side effects of laser eye surgery that can be expected and they may be more noticeable on some patients than on other patients.

For example, the eyes will feel mild discomfort or pain for the first two or three days and experience a tearing in the eye. You may also notice pink or red spots on the whites of your eyes. Another side effect of laser eye surgery is that your vision may seem hazy or blurry. Your eyes may feel dry and you may experience glare from lights in the house or outside. You may also see a halo effect around lights and have difficulty with driving at night for the first month.

Most of these side effects of laser eye surgery should be mild and they will disappear in the few days. Lingering side effects of laser eye surgery should be brought to the attention of the surgeon who performed the laser eye surgery.

Long-Term Side Effects Of Laser Eye Surgery

The worst side effect of laser eye surgery is that some patients may lose part or all of their vision as a result of the treatment. The other side effects of laser eye surgery are easier to overcome. For example, some may be under treated or over treated.

For those who have successfully corrected their eyesight, with good vision on the vision chart, some of them may develop permanent debilitating visual symptoms such as glare, halos, and/or double vision that can seriously affect night time vision. They may not be able to see clearly in situations of low contrast, such as at night or in fog.

Another potential long term side effect of laser eye surgery is the development of severe dry eye syndrome. Because of the surgery, your eyes may not be able to produce sufficient tears to keep your eyes moist and comfortable. This side effect of laser eye surgery can be resolved through intensive drop therapy.

Despite of the existence of all the side effects of laser eye surgery, statistics have shown that approximately 92% of patients have been satisfied with the laser eye surgery. However, laser eye surgery is a relatively new procedure. As such, not all side effects of laser eye surgery are fully explored. Some side effects of laser eye surgery may be caused by medications that you are administering for an existing illness while others may be attributed to age.