LASIK and Night Vision Problems

CHICAGO, IL, March 30, 2011 (Press-News.org) Following LASIK eye surgery, some patients may notice a temporary decrease in night vision, with symptoms including halos, starbursts, and glare. Caused by the swelling of the cornea, these effects typically subside over time. In some cases, decreased night vision only lasts a few days; for other patients, it can take months for it to fade entirely. Following-up with your LASIK surgeon will help ensure that any problems are carefully monitored and addressed, if necessary.

When night vision problems continue past the usual LASIK recovery period, they are usually due to the following causes:

- Corneal flap problems - If the corneal flap that is created during LASIK isn't perfectly centered or doesn't correctly adhere to the eye after it is replaced, light can bend irregularly at the point where the treated and untreated cornea meet, causing night vision problems.

- Enlarged pupils - After LASIK surgery, a person's pupils may dilate to a size larger than the actual treatment zone, causing glares and halos in low light conditions. Because pupils naturally become larger in the dark, these effects are more noticeable at night.

- Off-centered ablations - If laser treatment is not perfectly centered over the pupil, it can result in night vision complications. Decentered ablations normally don't cause problems during the day, and are less common now that newer LASIK technology includes advanced eye-tracking systems.

- Residual refractive error - If your cornea under- or over-responds to LASIK surgery, you may still have some remaining refractive error, including myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism.

Patients with larger pupils and more refractive error to correct are at a higher risk of developing night vision problems after LASIK surgery. However, most of these risks can be avoided or significantly decreased with the skill and attention of an experienced eye surgeon.

A Good Surgeon Will Assess Your Risk Before Surgery

Accurately measuring your dilated pupil size before surgery allows an eye surgeon to assess whether or not enlarged pupils will be a problem after LASIK surgery. If your surgeon determines that they cannot treat a large enough area of your cornea with LASIK without putting you at risk of significant vision complications, you will not be considered a good candidate for surgery, and your surgeon may suggest alternative Laser Vision Correction procedures.

Glare and halos caused by off-centered ablations can be avoided through the use of precision technology like WaveFront Custom LASIK. A qualified eye surgeon will perform a thorough screening and pre-surgical evaluation on all potential patients in order to ensure that surgery is only performed on perfect candidates. Your level of risk for complications will be evaluated in light of your current health, medical history, and other factors.

Thanks to advancements in LASIK technology, this popular procedure can be fined-tuned to an even greater extent than ever before. Night vision problems that persist past the LASIK recovery period are rare if you are treated by an eye surgeon who has the skill, technology, and pre-surgical caution to ensure the procedure is right for you

If you live in Chicago or Arlington Heights, Illinois and have further questions about the possibility of night vision complications after LASIK surgery, or are concerned about the result you had from another eye surgeon, please visit the website of Dr. Mark Golden at Doctors For Visual Freedom at www.doctorsforvisualfreedom.com.