Blurry Vision after Lasik?

Question

I had LASIK perorfmed 9 days ago. My right eye is perfect. But my left eye has blurry vision and feels different than my right. I can see but can't focus clearly on anything far away. I went to my surgeon and he thinks I may have corneal haze. I am worried that this will never resolve. I have been on steroid drops 4 x a day and preservative free tears about every 1 to 2 hours in between. Will this get better? Dry eye or corneal haze? Any help is appreciated

Joseph W. King, MD · Answer

Corneal haze is treatable. You are doing the right thing by continuing to see your surgeon for care.

David Malitz, MD · Answer

LASIK is the most common procedure for correcting myopia.  Like all procedures, complications are possible.  With many complications, early recognition and appropriate management can still result in an excellent outcome.   An infrequent (1-2%) complication with LASIK is a condition called diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK), or sands of the sahara (SOS).  This is an inflammatory response of unclear etiology which results in the deposition of white cells between the corneal flap and underlying stromal bed. 
The condition can be in one or both eyes and it can be asymmetric.  SOS can generally be noted one day after surgery, thus it is very important to keep your appointments.   Treatment generally begins with aggressive topical steroid therapy (drops every one to two hours with a strong steroid) with close monitoring.  Often the inflammation becomes worse before responding to the steroids and if the response is judged by the clinician to be inadequate considerations are given to lifting the flap and washing out the interface.    If the condition is untreated or under-treated the cells will lead to a release of enzymes, melting of the corneal tissue and haze (scar) and often a shift in refraction toward farsightedness.  Early recognition and aggressive management generally prevents vision loss, and should ensure an excellent post-operative LASIK outcome.
Although it is impossible to know if this is your situation, it would be wise to return to your surgeon ASAP or seek another opinion as the outcome is very dependent on time-sensitive treatment.
It should be noted that DLK can occur even years later with an enhancement procedure or with an unrelated corneal scratch in a patient that previously had LASIK.  In fact, although LASIK is very safe, most laser vision correction complications are flap related and can be avoided with PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy).  This procedure is similar to LASIK but instead of creating a flap, the treatment is done on the surface.

Blurry Vision after Lasik?

Answers (2)