5 Potential Side Effects of LASIK or PRK Surgery

Lasik or PRK Potential Side Effects

LASIK and PRK are surgical procedures that correct vision by gently reshaping the cornea of the eye. In most cases, patients see significant improvement in vision in as little as one to three days, and experience few to no side effects. Like with all surgeries, you should know about the five potential side effects of Lasik or PRK surgery.

1. Dry Eyes

The most common side effect for both surgeries, by far, is dry eye. After the procedure, your doctor will provide you with eye drops that will help the eye during the healing process, and will also address these dry eye symptoms. For most patients, the dry eye will be mild, and will only last for a few days, but for others it can persist for a longer period of time.

2. Mild Glare

Some patients have reported experiencing a mild glare in vision, especially in the presence of bright artificial lights, such as florescent lights. The glare will sometimes make people feel as if there is a hazy film over their field of vision, and this symptom can make it dangerous to drive at night. The glare will also generally go away after the first few days after surgery.

3. Halos in Vision

Especially if glare is present, the patient may also experience halos. Halos are rings of light that appear when trying to focus on objects, and typically occur when there is a bright light source. This side effect typically diminishes as the eye continues to heal.

4. Over or Under Correction

In much more rare circumstances, the eye or eyes may be over or under corrected due to the surgery. This over or under correction is typically caused by the way the eyes heal after the surgery and is more common among patients with very high prescriptions. After the surgery, the patient may need to continue using contacts or glasses, but will need a much lower prescription. In many cases, under correction can be addressed using additional treatments.

5. Eye Infections

Having surgery on your eyes does increase the risk of infections occurring, and patients that undergo PRK generally experience more infections than those that undergo LASIK. If an infection does occur, they can typically be treated easily with the use of antibiotic eye drops and other medications.

You should note that our San Antonio Lasik or PRK consultations are always free. This way we can discuss your concerns in a no-pressure so that you can make an informed decision about corrective eye surgery.