Causes | Symptoms | Treatment
Lasik (laser eye surgery) Surgery Complications
LASIK, a form of refractive surgery, is an option for vision correction which reduces the need for glasses or contact lenses. Simply put, LASIK reshapes the cornea by using a laser. In rare cases, many years (average 9 years) after laser eye surgery the cornea can thin. This is called corneal ectasia (excessive thinning of the cornea) and can create a distorted view of the world. Patients who had laser eye surgery in the past and now experience a change can often have a surgical enhancement and see clearly again.
But in some cases, the cornea has become too thin and the vision compromise too great. If it is diagnosed that you are experiencing ectasia, medically necessary contact lenses may be your only choice to see clearly again.
CausesLaser eye surgery, post-operative complications, usually occur years after surgery. These are rare cases and most laser eye surgery patients experience great vision except for normal vision changes. For those who do experience distorted and blurred vision that is no longer correctable with spectacles or traditional contact lenses, it can become a very frustrating complication. The usual cause is a condition called corneal ectasia or excessive thinning of the corneal tissue. It is thought that the underlying layer of the cornea becomes too thin over time and causes an excessive reverse bulging of the tissue. This bulging creates distortion and patients report that they are “looking through water” or a “wrinkled cellophane effect”. We have modern technology corneal topographers (sophisticated 3-D corneal mapping technology) in our office and this testing is conducted on each and every patient to diagnose and correct a vision problem related to post-operative laser eye surgery complications. |
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SymptomsGradual blurred vision years after laser eye surgery Distorted vision not corrected by spectacles or traditional contact lenses years after laser eye surgery |
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TreatmentThe best, modern, and most comfortable contact lenses available are scleral lenses and our doctors are the experts. These contact lenses allow our doctors to customize the contact lenses for the best vision and comfort. These lenses allow our patients to be active and participate in outdoor activities, even on a dusty or windy day. Most patients report these are as comfortable as soft contact lenses and often the most comfortable contact lenses ever! They even have a constant fluid reservoir and provide comfort for the dry eye symptoms often occurring after laser eye surgery. Recent technology scleral contact lenses with reverse geometry designs allow us to obtain even better vision and comfort for our patients with complications after laser eye surgery. Since the cornea typically flattens after laser eye surgery, the reverse curve of the contact lenses accommodate the flattened cornea post-surgery and provide better vision and more comfort. These contact lenses are now available in bifocal designs to accommodate those patients who experience reading difficulty as well as blurred or distorted distance vision. Please call our office and let our expert doctors help you. Our office phone is 214.739.8611 Ext 1 and a staff member will answer any questions you may have. |
