Are Eye Drops Still Required Three Months After LASIK?

I tell my patients to expect dry eyes for at least three to four months after LASIK.  Although, some have very few symptoms, most notice signs of dryness after LASIK.  Some patients say that they have no sensation of dryness, but do notice that they need to blink a few times to clear their vision or have glare early on after surgery.  These too can be symptoms of dryness and the use of lubricating tear drops may help a great deal.  The other issue for many is that once that they have surgery, they become more aware of their eyes and find that tear drops make them more comfortable. 

Some people do find it useful to use artificial tears for many weeks or months after laser vision correction. Those who spend the day in front of a computer screen may find it especially helpful to use lubricating eyedrops. Eventually the need for artificial tears should return to what it was prior to surgery.

The typical eyedrop regimen after Lasik surgery is an antibiotic eyedrop four times a day for one week and a steroid(again in eyedrop form) in a tapering fashion over about two weeks. Artificial tears can be used as much as desired during the first few weeks, but are rarely necessary after the first month or so.