Strange question about Lasik

[autumnn]

I had Lasik in 1999 and had no problems following- none- I was a very low prescription too....the day of the surgery I was actually at the gym exercising with stupid goggles on. Years went by with no issues at all. Then, 6+ years later I began having mild dryness that was alleviated by plugs and went through over a year of no pain. Then it crept back and eventually I was diagnosed with Bleph and MGD- and burning of course.

My question is, can Lasik cause no problems at first and then cause severe problems 6 or 7 years later? I am confused All the docs I trust say MGD is the problem but I am wondering about that darn lasik.

[clairvoyant]

You may have been asymptomatic like that baseball player.

http://www.medpie.com/people/sports/...rch_highlight1

[autumnn]

That is interesting- he reported symptoms 2 years later that included vision changes and dryness.
I have no issues with vision changes- just burning/dryness almost 7 years later... it is all so confusing would any type of eye doc- corneal specialist or neuro ophthalmologist be able to detect Lasik related DES?

Then there was the accutane 15 years ago- took a short time- did actually feel eye dryness then that went away as soon as I stopped the med.

And, in 2005 there were a few months of intense burning, etc- me trying treatments and all kinds of doctors followed stopping everything and then having no symptoms for a year. Another "huh?"

I think MGD is the culprit...still, am I the only one tired of wondering WHAT caused this mess!!! (ie lasik, accutane, allergies, medications, diet, thyroid, rosacea, hormones, the color of socks you wear (Lucy!) the list can go on and on!!!!!!!!!!!)

[alisonW]

Hi Autumn....

I have not had LASIK but have often wondered what has caused all of my eye issues as well. None of the doctors I have seen have been able to tell me for sure either but the consensus is that is was either having taken accutane 14 years ago or having worn contact lenses for 23 years. I wish there was a definitive answer too - maybe then our suffereing and pain could at least lead to change or something so others down the road won't have the same problems we all do.

[east12]

Well, I to have had Lasik however it wasnt all those years ago. I had lasik in june 2008 and after lasik I just had halos in dark/dim light conditions, thats all.

Since march 2009 I've had a huge increase in everything and I have my own theories to what caused it. I had worked in a fast food chain and thats when the problems started, i linked it to the constant heat/smoke that is in the kitchen area which my face was always usually directly over.

I had eye irritation which most lubricating made my eyes hurt more. I have also randomly developed "Daybursting" around light sources, especially headlights of cars, even in broad daylight which is really...... awful to have to look at day/night. Ontop of Daybursting I have other things that were not there before I worked at the fast food chain.

I have Ghosting images at night and in mirrors (including an additional half image of things like the moon, street lights etc..)Increased halo size, Daybursting (especially the rays) around every light source at night, My eyes usually feel like they have an eyelash in them (this has largely been dealt with Systane lubricating drops but never fully takes it away). Plugs have helped but they have gone away as they were weekly trial plugs.

I know its not in terms of years but it may give you some insight.

I also have not been diagnosed with anything such as MGD or Dry Eye.

[Lucy]

I think it's possible for dry eye to start some years after Lasik. I've heard of cases where it has, with people I've personally known. But, I am not a doctor, a nurse or any of that, so I cannot prove it. I think when we were having Lasik many years ago, we had no idea of the possibilities of problems.

When some of the naysayers have cataract surgery, they might be in for a surprise. The naysayers were those who made jokes about those of us who had dry eye, starburst, bad vision etc. I know what's possible and they might just get to experience this too. (Didn't say it was anything bad.) heh

[bernmee]

Autumn,

Can't answer your question but I to have wondered if yoour condition was related to your Lasik.

However, on the plus side, I do beleive that in the future, many people may develope problems. This will be bad for them but good at getting the message out that about the dangers of lasik.

I continue to do well, and am only ironing out some minor issues right now, thank God. hang in there. I was listening to a "self healing" CD the other day and they said that sometimes when you search for things it's like trying to dig for a well, all you come across is dirt and rumble, it's easy to give up, but if you keep trying you will hit the water. Thats how it was for me. No end in sight and at the start of the year all of a sudden, my eyes became better. Yes I did have some allergy issues since then but they are now under control, and allergy pain is nothing like MGD pain, for me anywya.

There is hope. Hang in there.

Bernadette

[autumnn]

I can relax a bit about post lasik dryness if Dr. Toyos is able to help my MGD....I guess what I worry about most is post lasik nerve corneal damage manifesting years later.
Still, how could one totally and quickly heal after the surgery- go years and years without pain/problems and then get nerve damage?
Am I being paranoid?

[lui]

It happened to me too. I had lasik 7 years ago e mild dry eyes with almost no pain and no problems but now my eyes have been killing me for 6 months, I almost wanted to post your same question...

[bernmee]

If only someone would do a study in it, but I guess there is no money in that. Maybe a phd student? Anyone?

Bernadette

[VirginiaDryEye]

Same story - Lasik and Accutane -

Did accutane 20 years ago and Lasik 2 years ago. DES occured about 20 mos post-Lasik. My doc said that I probably would've gotten DES in my 50s (I'm now 37), but the Lasik made it occur sooner. For me, I did lots of things (regrettably) that I'm sure contributed (Lasik, Accutane, long term contacts usage, work in dry office on computer). I think on top of that, there's also an element of bad luck. I'm sure w/ the success rate of lasik; others out there have done the same things, but don't have DES. However, it could pop up in the future for them.

For now, I'm on Restasis, lower plugs and a drop a day of Lotemax. I do the cold compress and the tranquil eyes. I'm actually feeling much better these days. I believe my job as a career computer guy is saved!

My suggestion to everyone is to find a good dry eye specialist. Mine is in Norfolk, VA. He's got a very scientific approach...try one thing at a time until we see improvement. He's in and out in 5 mins...but, I do like his approach and the fact that he's seen lots of DES.

[Raginator]

I try to be "logical' when thinking about Lasik causing dry eye syndrome, years later.

Can medical tests determine that a particular patient's dry eye IS being caused as a result of Lasik? Even years after the procedure?

There are other causes of dry eye besides refractive eye surgery.
There have been millions of people who have had Lasik or PRK.
Is it possible that some people would have gotten dry eye (by some other cause) who just so happen to have had refractive surgery in their lifetime?
I don't know; I'm merely speculating.

For example: "As a child, I went to Disneyland. As an adult, I developed allergies. Therefore, I conclude that Disneyland can lead to allergies."
A person states: "I had Lasik. Years later, I developed dry eye syndrome. Therefore, I conclude that Lasik caused my dry eye syndrome."

I'm not trying to downplay the suffering of people.
I'm merely asking: Are we sure????

I'm just an average joe, asking questions.

[ALK-O'd]

I see this is an old thread but wanted to kick in my 2 cents as this applies to my circumstances as well. I had my ALK refractive surgery (lamellar like LASIK) back in '92. I had no obvious dry eye sympoms until about 5 years ago. HOWEVER, far before I began noticing symptoms I had more than one eye doctor tell me that my tear film didn't look good and that it was most likely due to the surgery. I had a perfectly healthy tear film pre-surgery.

It's a fact that all eyes (surgery or not) produce fewer tears as we age. Cutting corneal nerves that control tearing response certainly doesn't help. We read a lot on this website and others about people who immediately ended up with severe dry eye following refractive surgery - but what you don't read about is people whose tear levels were lowered, but don't notice it, feel fine, and frankly don't care. That for example is who I was 10 years ago. My tear production has continued to steadily decline over the past few years. Some of it I'm sure is naturally age related. Some of it is likely long term complications from the nerve damage.

I'm 36 years old and otherwise healthy. My DTS has only become severe within the last couple of years. Both my OD and I firmly believe this is a direct result of the surgery I had 17 years ago.

[sanna]

It's a fact that all eyes (surgery or not) produce fewer tears as we age. Cutting corneal nerves that control tearing response certainly doesn't help. We read a lot on this website and others about people who immediately ended up with severe dry eye following refractive surgery - but what you don't read about is people whose tear levels were lowered, but don't notice it, feel fine, and frankly don't care. That for example is who I was 10 years ago. My tear production has continued to steadily decline over the past few years. Some of it I'm sure is naturally age related. Some of it is likely long term complications from the nerve damage.

I think this is so true!