Will I Develop Dry Eyes After Laser Treatment?

April 5, 2017

As corneal specialists who deal with dry eye disease on a daily basis, we are very vigilant in thoroughly assessing all our patients who are interested in laser refractive surgery. While there is no way to guarantee that dry eye symptoms (or other side effects for that matter) will not develop after laser treatment, there are many tests that can be done before any treatment take place to better assess the risk factors and substantially minimize the potential issues that may arise. As a result of having dealt with the entire spectrum of dry eye disorders throughout my corneal career, we developed a very thorough screening process that can help us in selecting who are good candidates for laser vision correction.

Relieving Dry Eyes

The good news is that if dry eye symptoms develop after laser correction, with proper treatments instituted by us they will almost always resolve within 6 to 12 months of vision correction. Depending on the degree of dry eye findings we detect in our initial consultations, however, we may elect to delay the option of vision correction until we can significantly reverse the dry eye process that may have been pre-existing. In some circumstances, we will not recommend receiving laser treatment because of the risk of significant dry eye disease. The good news is that patients who are not candidates for laser vision correction may still be candidates for other technologies like phakic intraocular lenses.

Ultimately, our goal at Clarity Laser Vision is to ensure that it is safe to perform any corrective procedure after a very detailed analysis and examination take place. Understanding that with any surgery there are always potential risks of side effects is important if you are planning to undertake this treatment. We strive to maximize the success rate while minimizing any risks of developing them by our “no compromise” approach when it comes to bringing only the most advanced and proven diagnostic and treatment technologies.

Please feel free to contact us if you have a question or want to find out more about our rigorous screening program. Also, if you would like to book a complimentary consultation please give us a call at 403-640-0400.