Redness and Blurred Vision After Lasik Eye Surgery

Question

I had Lasik Eye Surgery done around two weeks ago, and I've been really worried about the amount of redness in my right eye. I have perfect vision on my right eye, but my left eye is really hazy and doesn't seem to be getting any better. I went to see a specialist and he said that my left eye is just taking time to heal, and the redness is fine. Is this normal, and will it be okay soon?

Cary M. Silverman, MD · Answer

Redness and blurry vision are not uncommon at 2 weeks post LASIK and should improve over the next few weeks.  If problems persists, make sure to bring this to the attention of your surgeon.

Arthur Benjamin, MD · Answer

There are different causes of what's perceived as "redness" of the eyes.  Most of the time, redness after LASIK is a result of minute  subconjunctival hemorrhages.  These are a result of small capillary breaks that occur during the flap creation phase of the procedure when mild vacuum is applied to stabilize the eye.  In our practice we call them little hickies from the kiss of the laser. These have the appearance of bright red splotches, are painless and don't affect vision.  They may look scary but are very common and usually take a few weeks to resolve.  Pinkish redness could be a sign of inflammation.  If your eye doctor said its not dangerous, then it is probably the first kind.  It is normal for the visual recovery to be asymmetric with one eye slightlly behind the other and is not a sign that something is wrong. Most commonly one eye has a little more dryness than the other.  Some of the causes may include slipped flaps or folds in the flap.  It sounds like your doctor checked and all is fine.  You can rest assured that within a few days your vision will improve.

Mark Golden, MD · Answer

It is common to have a red eye after LASIK. During the process of making a flap, pressure is placed on the eye and this can cause bruising. This appears as bright red areas on the white of the eye. This coloring will change over time as the blood is absorbed. This is called a subconjunctival hemorrhage and should be of no concern. The redness will go away within a few weeks.

Michael K. Tracy, MD · Answer

Painless redness that does not effect vision after LASIK is generally due to a sub-conjunctival hemorrhage from the suction ring and is completely harmless and resolves in about two weeks without treatment. It is really just a bruise that looks bright red against the white of your eye and it will resolve over the next two weeks. If you begin to develop pain, blurred vision, or any other symptoms you should be seen right away. The blurred vision may be due to any number of things including normal healing. You are quiet early in the healing process and have already seen your surgeon. If you are unsure about his diagnosis, you can always obtain second opinion. If it does not improve or gets worse or any other symptoms develop you should be seen right away.

Jon Dishler, MD, FACS · Answer

AS to your right eye being red, it may be due to a slight amount of blood on the white part of your eye known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage.  This can happen more likely with traditional LASIK than the all laser method, but is not harmful, although it looks bad.  If your vision is good, you probably do not have a problem in your right eye.  
As to your left eye the blurry vision may just be healing.  It may also be that there is some uncorrected error that may need more treatment.  You may also have a more serious cause of blurriness but you will need to rely on your doctor for making this determination.  If your vision does not clear or you do not feel confident with your doctor's explanation it is possible to get a "second opinion."
It is not possible to diagnose problems such as this without an examination so this information is general and not intended to be relied on other than as general information.

Anthony J. Kameen, MD (retired) · Answer

It is not unusual to have some transient redness and blurriness for a week or so after LASIK, but it should be steadily improving, otherwise you should contact your surgeon. The analogy I like for the first few days is this: right when you sit up from the procedure(within seconds) your uncorrected vision should be roughly 70-75% improved, though smoky/hazy. If you can imagine the window in your bathroom right after you get out of the shower. It has fogged up from the steam, and that is what your cornea does within a few seconds of the procedure. Over the ensuing 3-4 hours this fog lifts and the vision drastically improves, especially after a good nights sleep. Most patients are 20/20 the morning after the procedure, although the quality of the 20/20 is not perfect until the "steam", which is, actually, swelling, goes away. This should only take a few days.When in doubt, contact your surgeon again.

Redness and Blurred Vision After Lasik Eye Surgery

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