Is Dry Eye Following Laser Eye Surgery Something To Be Concerned About?
When you talk to people who have had laser eye surgery, one of the problems that many talk about is having dry eyes. As a matter of fact, among all of the complaints, it is the one most frequently mentioned.
How many patients are we talking about? It's hard to come up with an accurate number for a number of reasons. One is that there is not central database tracking such complaints. Another, is that in a large number of operations, the patient was already inclined towards having dry eyes before the surgical procedure. If this were the case, the procedure for the patient should never have been approved.
The good thing is that laser eye surgery is not the only option available for those who have pre-existing dry eye syndrome. One such option is to think about an operation such as Epi-Lasik or Photorefractive keratectomy. Both of these are procedures that are not only a lot less invasive but they also have less of a possibility of creating dry eyes or other vision difficulties.
But you shouldn't automatically assume that the laser eye surgery has resulted in you having permanent dry eyes. To be prudent, wait at least for a couple of months following the procedure. The reason is that, just about all patients will experience some level of dry eye for a period of time directly following the operation.
Fortunately, the majority of times, the condition is not permanent. The situation will correct itself in a half year, at the most. If it does not, then you may have a more long term problem. But, during this six month period, you can to minimize the problem by simply using over the counter eye drops or similar solutions. If, however, the condition persists, your doctor will have to offer other options. Thankfully, the health insurance policies of most people, cover treatment of dry eye, unlike that of laser eye surgery itself, which is considered cosmetic.
If you really want to minimize the odds of you having any post operational problems, there is one thing that you can do. And that is to be hyper vigilant in choosing your doctor. Corrective eye surgery can be very enlightening, but it is fraught with potential dangers. Choosing your doctor with care, minimizes those dangers.
The truth, however, is much more complicated. And, as many patients can attest, complications can occur in eve the most minor of surgical procedures. The problem, however, is that you only have one set of eyes. And you don't want to lose them. So, you have to be particularly careful in the doctor you select. Therefore, instead of picking the doctor or clinic by how much money you save on their special advertising for the week, make you decision based on how many successful and pleased patients that he has.
For many, dry eye is n bothersome annoyance. Fortunately, however, this condition usually poses no longer term to your eyes. So if this is the least of your problems following surgery, compared to many patients, you are in pretty good shape.
How many patients are we talking about? It's hard to come up with an accurate number for a number of reasons. One is that there is not central database tracking such complaints. Another, is that in a large number of operations, the patient was already inclined towards having dry eyes before the surgical procedure. If this were the case, the procedure for the patient should never have been approved.
The good thing is that laser eye surgery is not the only option available for those who have pre-existing dry eye syndrome. One such option is to think about an operation such as Epi-Lasik or Photorefractive keratectomy. Both of these are procedures that are not only a lot less invasive but they also have less of a possibility of creating dry eyes or other vision difficulties.
But you shouldn't automatically assume that the laser eye surgery has resulted in you having permanent dry eyes. To be prudent, wait at least for a couple of months following the procedure. The reason is that, just about all patients will experience some level of dry eye for a period of time directly following the operation.
Fortunately, the majority of times, the condition is not permanent. The situation will correct itself in a half year, at the most. If it does not, then you may have a more long term problem. But, during this six month period, you can to minimize the problem by simply using over the counter eye drops or similar solutions. If, however, the condition persists, your doctor will have to offer other options. Thankfully, the health insurance policies of most people, cover treatment of dry eye, unlike that of laser eye surgery itself, which is considered cosmetic.
If you really want to minimize the odds of you having any post operational problems, there is one thing that you can do. And that is to be hyper vigilant in choosing your doctor. Corrective eye surgery can be very enlightening, but it is fraught with potential dangers. Choosing your doctor with care, minimizes those dangers.
The truth, however, is much more complicated. And, as many patients can attest, complications can occur in eve the most minor of surgical procedures. The problem, however, is that you only have one set of eyes. And you don't want to lose them. So, you have to be particularly careful in the doctor you select. Therefore, instead of picking the doctor or clinic by how much money you save on their special advertising for the week, make you decision based on how many successful and pleased patients that he has.
For many, dry eye is n bothersome annoyance. Fortunately, however, this condition usually poses no longer term to your eyes. So if this is the least of your problems following surgery, compared to many patients, you are in pretty good shape.
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