Chemosis that is not going away.

Question

I had lasik 4 months ago. A month after the surgery, I developed a chemosis on both eyes. I can close my eyes without problem. It's still here after 3 months and I don't see any improvement, even though at the end of the day, it's much better than in the mornings ; why is that? I still have a bit of dry eyes but it's bearable. Some comments say to use a lot of lubricating drops, but could these drops have caused irritation to my eyes and lead to chemosis?

Vandana Jain, MS · Answer

Chemosis is one of the common signs of allergic eye doses, very rarely it may be associated with toxicity to certain medications or to some body related diseases. You can continue to use some lubricating eye drops. You can discuss with your doctor and ask for anti allergic medicine or oral anti-allergic to control the same.

Mark Golden, MD · Answer

Chemosis is swelling of the conjunctiva.  The conjunctiva overlies the white (sclera) of the eye and is usually clear or may be red in an infection.  Essentially all patients who have LASIK get worsening of dry eyes for at least three to four months after surgery.  For that reason, I generally recommend that patients use Restasis which should start before surgery and end when all dry eye symptoms clear.  If tear drops seem to make chemosis worse, there may be an allergy to the preservatives in the drops and then preservative free tears should be used.  When someone is multiple months postop LASIK and still has conjunctival swelling, I suggest frequent use of tear drops and recognize that rubbing or touching of the eyes should stop.  The use of cold compresses should help reduce the swelling.  If itching is associated with the chemosis, cold also can be helpful or ask your eye doctor for an allergy drop.  If the chemosis continues, contact your surgeon.

Chemosis that is not going away.

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Chemosis that is not going away.

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Everything you need to know about LASIK

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.