DLK and Floaters!

[LasikExpert]

I am guessing that the wetting of the eye would temporarily smooth the surface and hence a while of clear vision.

In addition, a thick artificial tear will increase the thickness of the overall optic of the eye by a few microns, thus making the eye slightly more myopic. It takes only 12 microns for a full 1.0 diopter of correction. By comparison, a human hair is about 60 microns thick. If you are slighty hyperopic, this may be enough change.

I wonder if my astigmatism will eventually go away either with my tears coming back (hopefully soon) or if the corenea will grow and get to its smooth original self again (if my guess on the uneven corena surface was right)...

The epithelium is amazing. The way it "corrects" imperfections and clears irregularities is truly remarkable. About 6-8 weeks after you are off all the meds your epithelium will have done about all it can. What remains you will need to decide if it is worth contacts, glasses, or enhancement surgery.

[patrickchu]

The epithelium is amazing. The way it "corrects" imperfections and clears irregularities is truly remarkable. About 6-8 weeks after you are off all the meds your epithelium will have done about all it can. What remains you will need to decide if it is worth contacts, glasses, or enhancement surgery.

Thanks Glenn. So early January is the time when it should all settle. I am getting off my last piece of med - the "anti-IOP" - the day after tomorrow. I don't think I dare an enhancement surgery...

[LasikExpert]

As hard as it may be, you need to forget about your eyes until after the new year. Just let them heal...and quit the "Lasik Salute" of covering one eye, then the other, then back again. You can also take down that Snellen 20/whatever test that I'll bet you have taped to your refridgerator. 8^)

[patrickchu]

As hard as it may be, you need to forget about your eyes until after the new year. Just let them heal...and quit the "Lasik Salute" of covering one eye, then the other, then back again. You can also take down that Snellen 20/whatever test that I'll bet you have taped to your refridgerator. 8^)

very funny Glenn... ;->

[LasikExpert]

very funny Glenn... ;->

I try. In fact for some people I'm very trying. 8^D

[patrickchu]

Hi Glenn, my doctor just told me that the "consistent" astigmatism left in my left eye (called irregular astigmatism, I think, because it cannot be corrected by glasses) was due to my DRY EYE and will be cured by itself over time (a relatively long time in terms of months I was told). Glenn, is this normal?

[LasikExpert]

Dry eyes can cause an irregularity on the cornea surface that would present ghost images and poor vision quality. The doctor's diagnosis is consistent with your described symptoms.

Dry eye is the most common complaint after Lasik (see USAEyes Competence Opinion Relative to Expectation (CORE) patient survey question regarding Dry Eyes). For the vast majority of patients it is not considered a problem by six months postop (see USAEyes CORE patient survey question regarding Unresoled Lasik Complications), however some people have required more time and a very few have long-term dry eye problems.

[patrickchu]

Dry eyes can cause an irregularity on the cornea surface that would present ghost images and poor vision quality. The doctor's diagnosis is consistent with your described symptoms.

Glenn, when I asked my doctor if the blurriness of my left eye will ever go away when the tears come back, his responses was that it would "improve" meaning that my left eye vision might remain a bit unclear for the rest of my life. On the other hard, my doctor also said that my dry eye is not that severe as he had seen other patients who keeps on having small wounds and inflammations for a long time. I however needs to apply artificial teams almost hourly and gel four times a day.
My questions therefore are:
1. Is it true that dry eye caused blurriness will remain even after the tears eventually return?
2. Why am I getting this constant blurriness if my dry eye is not that severe while I have not heard of the same compliants from anyone I know who had dry eye after lasik?

[LasikExpert]

1. Is it true that dry eye caused blurriness will remain even after the tears eventually return?

Dry eye certain can cause blurred vision. It is possible that blurred vision will remain after resolution of the dry eyes, but this would require actual permanent damage to the underlying corneal layers from the dry eyes. That is not likely, especially since you are treating the dry eyes.

2. Why am I getting this constant blurriness if my dry eye is not that severe while I have not heard of the same compliants from anyone I know who had dry eye after lasik?

Dry eye is likely only part of the problem, but until it is resolved it is very difficult to determine what else may be problematic and how to treat the something else.

[patrickchu]

Glenn, is it true that corneal thickness is correlated with the post-operative dry eye symptom? i.e. the thinner your cornea is the more likely you will get dry eye and the more difficult for you to recover? I heard my doctor said before my operation that my corneal thinness was 499 which was kind of thin and is probably much thinner now after the operation and all the medication that I had in the two months after the operation.

I have not had the chance to measure my corneal thinkness now. Maybe I should ask my doctor to conduct a measurement for me?

[LasikExpert]

You information is apparently a misinterpretation of the true situation. Some studies have found that a thinner Lasik flap leads to a lower incidence of dry eye, however I know of no studies that indicate a difference in the preponderance of dry eye based upon corneal thickness.

[patrickchu]

As hard as it may be, you need to forget about your eyes until after the new year. Just let them heal...and quit the "Lasik Salute" of covering one eye, then the other, then back again. You can also take down that Snellen 20/whatever test that I'll bet you have taped to your refridgerator. 8^)

Happy New Year Glenn!
As you have predicted, the vision of my left eye has improved a lot at around the New Year break. I can now read almost the bottom line of that Snellen 20 chat on my fridge!
The only problem left now is the dry eye which still require a lot of artificial eye drop especially in late afternoon and evenings. Besides those that you have already given in your dry-eye web page, do you have any advice for severe dry eye patient needing to travelling on long haul flight?