Lasik surgery side effects - what to expect

Lasik surgery side effects are those things that can happen after the surgery, as opposed to those that can happen during the surgery.   Those that happen during surgery are more correctly called complications.

One of the more common side effects is dry eye, which obviously is a “dry” feeling in the eye. The condition usually disappears anywhere between one month and three months after lasik surgery.   It is normally treated via the use of lubricating eye drops.

If you were nearsighted before Lasik and wore eyeglasses or contacts, you might have suffered from night glare and halos. These are caused by peripheral rays of light, i.e. the rays at the edge of the pupil.   These rays are scattered more in a nearsighted person by the time they reach a pupil that is dilated at night.

After Lasik surgery this condition may get worse for a while, but normally clears up in about three months. However, do brief your surgeon before the operation if you suffer from glare or a halo effect at night.   He/she will then be able to use a technique that will minimize future glare problems.

Lasik surgery side effects - the cornea

The way your eye heals can also affect the probability of various Lasik surgery side effects. If your eyes heal faster (or slower) than normal, you could end up with eyes that have been either under- or over-corrected.

The shape and thickness of the cornea might also change during healing, which could also affect the amount of correction. All of these conditions can normally be fixed via a second operation (an enhancement) once the eyes are properly healed and stabilized.

Another Lasik surgery side effect is contrast sensitivity, which is the difference between the lightest and the darkest part of what you’re looking at. This sensivity is measured with the familiar wall chart, with black letters on white, which of course is not a real-life situation.

For good vision, particularly at night, you need to be able to tell the difference between shades of the same colour, or shades of grey.

You’re likely to suffer from a much-reduced contrast sensitivity as a Lasik surgery side effect for a couple of weeks after the procedure.  This is possible even if you can read a wall chart quite well. Contrast sensitivity is almost always back to normal within six months of lasik surgery.