What causes dry eyes after laser vision correction?
Nerves play an important role in the Laser Eye Surgery recovery process. I’m not talking about the jitters, patients are usually very calm by this time — I’m on about a different set of nerves: those on the surface of your eye.
The nerves on the surface of the eye are momentarily interrupted because of the pain-free laser process. Thankfully, though, these nerves possess the incredible power to regenerate over a period of three to six months, and will further regenerate over the subsequent three to six years.
On top of this, the tear film becomes slightly irregular due to changes in the glands surrounding the eyelids (whose function is to produce an oil layer to coat the tears).
Due to these two mechanisms being temporarily affected — with the nerves needing to regenerate and the glands coming back to full functioning — patients often experience mild dry eye after Laser Eye Surgery.
Expert Laser Eye Surgeon Mr Glenn Carp explains post-surgery dry eye
In the short video above, Mr Glenn Carp designs why you may experience dry eye after Laser Eye Surgery.
Will you experience dry eye after Laser Eye Surgery?
As every patient and body is different, it’s difficult to say for sure if and how much dry eye you will experience following Laser Eye Surgery. However, as we are experts who’ve been doing this for many years, we can take a pretty damn good guess.
To explain what happens in the eye a little further, the corneal nerves supply information to the lacrimal gland to ensure they supply a continual amount of lubrication. Laser Eye Surgery techniques like LASIK and PRK disrupt the corneal nerves so they can no longer supply the proper information, and so there can be a decrease in the normal amount of lubrication to the eye, leading to dry eyes.
Over the course of the weeks, months, and years after Laser Eye Surgery, the nerves heal, and the lubrication level of the eye returns to normal. However, a small number of patients with pre-existing dry eyes are at risk of prolonged dry eye and more significant symptoms. In the rarer of cases, some patients even years after surgery have dryer eyes than they did before having Laser Eye Surgery.
In general, the use of artificial tears is important in the recovery of the eye’s nerves following Laser Eye Surgery. Careful discussion with your Patient Care Coordinator both before and after surgery is important in determining the right amount of lubrication required.
In cases of severe dry eye, patients can use a punctal plug. A punctal plug is a plastic plug that prevents the outflow of tears from your eye to the nose. This device can raise the amount of lubrication in the eye, just like plugging the drain of a sink. A surgeon can place and remove the plastic plugs months later if required.
Find out if you are likely to experience dry eye following Laser Eye Surgery by leaving us a comment below or contacting our team of friendly experts.
View Comments (15)
Thanks for the information! I have friends who experienced dry eyes after getting laser eye surgery. It's interesting how laser eye surgeries affects how much eyes are lubricated. I didn't know that the nerves eventually heal after a few weeks or months until the eyes can lubricate themselves normally again. It's good to know that patients can use artificial tears after getting surgery until their eyes can lubricate themselves normally again.
It's about one month I have been operated PRK in both eyes,but still I have dryness in left eye. It's not healing at all even I am using eye drops & gel. Local Docter who did PRK is saying that it will 3 months to cure. It's becoming hopeless for me.
Hi Pinkesh,
You would need to be fully assess for us to give you clinical information. I would reccommend you go back to your surgeon so they can fully explain where you are in the healing process. These things do take time to heal so be patient. If you are worried, you should always seek advice.
Thanks,
London Vision Clinic
I have not had the laser surgery but want to except I was told I had dry eyes . I was put on omega 3 etc but I then researched dry eye problems and was put off . Is there any regulated data specific to dry eyes ? How many patients experience severe dry eyes and for how long ?
Thanks
Rob
Hi Rob,
At least 50% of patients experience some degree of post-operative dry eye. Normally this can be well managed with lubrication, and resolves by 6-12 months. However it can go on for up to a year depending on pre-operative status and environment. If someone has dryness pre-operatively they may always experience some symptoms post due to their underlying status. We assess dryness status at the pre-operative consultation, and attempt to address any underlying concerns prior to surgery. In some cases we may deem patients unsuitable if their status cannot be sufficiently improved.
Please call the clinic on 0207 224 1005 if you have any further questions.
Thanks
London Vision Clinic
Hi i had Lasik surgery a month ago but on the third day after my operation a drop of rain went into my right eye and since then I feel my eye dry, symptoms of burning and a discharge as if it is irritated and have a blurred vision. The eye looks fine but I feel all these. Will it heal over time?
Hi Melina,
If you are concerned at all about your recovery I would recommend going back to the surgeon that performed your surgery and ask them to check the eye. Unfortunately, we cannot comment clinically if we have not assesed the eyes fully.
Thanks,
London Vision Clinic
This is great info! thank you for sharing.
can anyone recommend eye drops for dry eye, i had my eyes lasered one year ago
Hi Jayne, at 1 year post-surgery you can use any eyedrops to lubricate your eyes. If you can get hold preservative-free eye drops then we recommend using those.
Kind Regards,
London Vision Clinic
Hello I have a problem with my distance problem and I don't want to wear a glass does it will harm if I will go for laser eye surgery. Will please anyone will recommend me with a good solution. Thank you.
Hi Naren, if you don't get on well with glasses you may find laser eye surgery to be a better solution for you. You can call to speak to one of our Patient Care Coordinators on 020 7224 1005 to find out more information.
Thanks,
London Vision Clinic
Hi, I had prk 9 months ago and still have dry eye & drops really don't help much. I had no problem with dry eye before prk. I can't stand a ceiling fan now, or wind, or the vent in the car on. I really really hope this goes away. Any chance it will? It's pretty awful.
Hi Charity, sorry to hear you are struggling with this.
This is something which should have been taken into account by your Surgeon, and they should be providing you with lubricating drops to help with the dry eye symptoms you are experiencing.
Best Wishes,
London Vision Clinic
Hi charity, i am in a similar problem and am 8 months into my recover post PRK but i am experiencing so much dry eyes. I am using my drops pretty much every hour to two hours.
Is this normal? and did yours end up healing?