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What Causes Blurry Vision After LASIK Surgery?

LASIK Eye Surgery is an excellent laser procedure for correcting astigmatism, farsightedness, and/or nearsightedness. It takes about 15 minutes and almost all patients recover quickly. It carries some risk, just like any other procedure.

Our, M.D.& LASIK surgeons, get a lot of questions about the procedure from patients. “Will LASIK fix my vision forever?” is a frequently asked question. The answer is possibly. LASIK is a fixed procedure. In other words, if your eye prescription changes, the LASIK procedure will not adjust. Fortunately for most patients, prescription changes after the age of 25 tend to be minor. This article addresses an issue that has received little attention:

What could be the causes of a patient’s vision changing after LASIK?

Some of the causes are extremely uncommon. Others are fairly common. Several are almost certainly guaranteed. Most can be detected prior to surgery using appropriate screening tests:

Presbyopia: This is the most certain. When we are young, the lens of our eyes can focus both far and close. At the age of 40, the lens becomes less flexible, and near vision gradually deteriorates. This is why people over the age of 40 require reading glasses, bifocals, or trifocals to see up close. A workaround for this is Monovision LASIK, a type of LASIK in which one eye is corrected for distance and the other eye for near.

Cataracts: This is the second and most certain reason. All humans, if they live long enough, will develop cataracts as part of the ageing process. This is a clouding of the lens that causes blurry, hazy vision and is associated with visual disturbances such as glare, starbursts, and haloes. Fortunately, Cataract surgery can correct this. Reason #1 can be avoided by using new multifocal lens implants such as the ReSTOR and Crystalens.

Progressive Myopia: Nearsightedness usually stops progressing in the early twenties. Myopia can progress into the 40s or 50s in some patients. If your nearsightedness worsens after LASIK, your vision will become blurry. To correct residual myopia, an Enhancement procedure may be required.

Farsightedness: Performing LASIK on farsighted patients is more difficult than on nearsighted patients. Most patients’ farsightedness worsens with age. Patients who are farsighted are more likely to require enhancement surgery.

Keratoconus Spectrum: Keratoconus is a congenital Corneal disorder marked by progressive corneal thinning and increasing astigmatism. Patients with full-blown Keratoconus are never candidates for LASIK because the procedure will worsen the condition. Unfortunately, there is no reliable test for diagnosing subclinical forms of the disease at this time. Risk stratification is the only way out. If you have a high risk of developing subclinical Keratoconus, your only options are PRK or no Corneal surgery at all. Corneal transplantation can be used to treat patients with symptomatic Keratoconus.

Dry Eyes: The nerves that supply the cornea will be temporarily disrupted as the LASIK flap is created. These nerves typically regenerate within the first 3-6 months following LASIK. During this time, the eyes tend to be dry, which can cause blurred or fluctuating vision. If you have dry eyes prior to LASIK, you may need to treat them aggressively with punctal plugs or ReSTASIS eyedrops. Another option would be to consider PRK, which is less drying. Patients with severe dry eyes or diseases such as Sjogren’s syndrome or Rheumatoid arthritis should avoid LASIK surgery. More advice can be found in our Dry Eye post.

Large Pupils: When we are young, our pupils are large. They gradually shrink in size as they age. It is hypothesised that having large people increases the risk of patients experiencing visual disturbances.

Diabetes: If you develop diabetes later in life, your eye prescription may change due to elevated blood sugar levels. Diabetic Retinopathy occurs when blood sugar levels remain elevated for an extended period of time. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in people of working age. Fortunately, if the blood sugars are quickly controlled, the eye prescription returns to normal.

Macular Degeneration: The risk of Macular Degeneration increases with age.

Other Eye Diseases: LASIK does not make you immune to other eye diseases. LASIK patients are still at risk for eye diseases that can blind or impair vision.

Dr Kamdar Eye Hospital’s doctors specialise in LASIK, cataract, cornea, retina, and

glaucoma treatments.

The hospital is equipped with cutting-edge medical facilities that combine cutting-

edge technology with the most experienced ophthalmologists. Our goal is to assist

you in realising your best vision.

For more information or to make an appointment with a consultant, please call or

visit Dr Kamdar Eye Hospital.

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