Lasik side effects are those things that can hapen to lasik patients after laser eye surgery, as opposed to those that can happen during the actual lasik surgery.
Those that happen during surgery are more correctly called lasik complications, and relate more to lasik eye surgery risks rather than lasik side effects.
One of the more common lasik side effects is dry eye, which obviously is a “dry” feeling in the eye, itchyness in the eye, perhaps also blurred vision.
The condition usually disappears anywhere between one month and three months after lasik eye surgery. Lubricating eye drops are the normal treatment for dry eyes, and are normally very effective in controlling this particular problem.
One of the next most common sides effects is sensitivity to light, and it is obviously important not to touch or rub your eyes when you suffer from this particular problem. The good news is that the sensitivity drops quite quickly after the first few days.
Night Glare One of the Common Lasik Side Effects
If you were nearsighted before Lasik and wore reading glasses or contact lenses, you might have suffered from night glare, halos or starbursts.
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 eye surgery this pre-existing condition may get worse for a while, sometimes because the flap that is created by the laser on the cornea (the corneal flap) does not re-bond properly when it is replaced.
Fortunately, this is one of those is one of the lasik side effects that normally clears up in anywhere from one to three months.
But do brief your lasik surgeon before the laser vision correction 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 Side Effects – the Cornea
The way your eye heals can also affect the probability of various Lasik 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.
Your doctor can normally fix all of these conditions via a second operation (an enhancement) once the eyes are properly healed and stabilized.
More Lasik Side Effects – Contrast Sensitivity
Another of the Lasik side effects 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, and one of the lasik side effects could well be a much-reduced contrast sensitivity.
You could be affected for a couple of weeks after the lasik procedure, even if you can read a wall chart quite well.
But this is another of the lasik side effects that is usually temporary, and contrast sensitivity is almost always back to normal within six months of lasik eye surgery.
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