Still have haze two months after LASEK.

[leo]

Dear Sir,

I had wave-front LASEK two months ago, before the surgery, both eyes were -3.75.

Although I could now see 20/20 for both eyes but with poor quality (still blurry). My doctor said this is due to that I still have Haze (level 1 he said) on both eyes. And my eye pressure are high at the moment, (left eye: 26.8 right eye: 21.2) I am currently using Flarex and artificial tears, I really don't know what to do now as my doctor didn't come up with clear message neither.

So will the haze eventually be gone or will it stay forever? Do I need any other medicines or maybe another enhancement surgery?

Please sir could you point the right direction for me?

Thank you so much in advance.

Leo

[LasikExpert]

Leo,

I’m sorry to hear of your difficulties. I suspect that your reported problems are interrelated.

If your intraocular pressure (IOP) was in the normal range before LASEK, then the elevation is probably due to the use of the corticosteroid Flarex, which is commonly prescribed for a short period after LASEK. Flarex is an anti-inflammatory and is undoubtedly prescribed to try to resolve the haze.

Prolonged use of a steroid can cause several problems; the most obvious is glaucoma and damage to the optic nerve due to the high IOP. Your doctor should be checking your IOP and examining your optic nerve on a very regular basis, probably weekly to every other week. The use of IOP reducing glaucoma medication may be appropriate.

Your low refractive error would indicate that haze should not have been a problem. I question if the haze may be related to a reaction to the medications, including the Flarex. Ask your doctor if a change of steroids would be appropriate and if you need IOP lowering medication.

I also believe in a situation like this a second opinion is warranted. The presence of haze and the extended need for steroids is rather unusual. An evaluation by a cornea specialist at a teaching hospital affiliated with a university may be a good idea. It will affirm if your current doctor has you on the right track, or will help change the path you are on. You may want to ask your present surgeon for a referral to a cornea specialist for a second opinion. I’m sure your current doctor would appreciate either an affirmation of the care provided, or advice on how to proceed with a case of persistent haze.

If you need a referral for a second opinion, feel free to send me a private message (PM) with your location.