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Eye and Vision Care

5 Years After LASIK

01/05/2010

Question:

Hello, I had Lazik surgery to correct myopia and astigmatism 5 years ago. I was 21 and I had about -5 degrees, stable for 3 years. My vision has been very good since, but for this past month I`ve had difficulty reading words placed at a distance; for example the newsbar that scrolls at the bottom of the tv screen and the letters on my pc screen look a bit blurry at a distance greater than about 60 cm. Is it possible that my myopia or astigmatism is recurring? Did something go wrong during the surgery and it`s only appearing now? And in case I may need it, can the Lazik be repeated? I haven`t been able to find clear answer to this. Could you give me some information? My vision became good in 5 days after the surgery and I used artificial tears for about 4 months after which I felt that I didn`t need them.

Thank you.

Answer:

Since your distance vision has definitely changed during the past month, you should make an appointment with your LASIK surgeon for a follow-up examination. That doctor has all of your old eye records, including the specific type of laser used and its settings during the procedure. You may need an enhancement procedure; or you may just need to use eye drops occasionally for corneal dryness, which is a common late-term complication of most refractive surgeries. 

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Response by:

Robert D Newcomb, OD, MPH, FAAO Robert D Newcomb, OD, MPH, FAAO
Professor Emeritus of Clinical Optometry
College of Optometry
The Ohio State University