Dry eye syndrome is a common eye condition that may not immediately disqualify you from having LASIK surgery, but it does mean that you should manage your symptoms and treat them successfully before undergoing the procedure. This can be done if your dry eye is being treated with artificial tears, eye drops, or in-office procedures. Once your dry eye is comfortably under control, you can have LASIK surgery. Having dry eyes doesn't necessarily disqualify you from having LASIK surgery, but your provider will need to evaluate your symptoms, determine the cause of dry eyes, and ensure that dry eye syndrome is being (or has been) treated properly and is stable and under control at the time of surgery.
Because the cause, nature, and severity of dry eye syndrome can vary significantly from person to person, patients with dry eyes are evaluated for LASIK surgery on a case-by-case basis. Having dry eyes can affect eye healing after laser eye surgery. However, the evaluation is done before undergoing laser eye surgery to ensure that dry eyes do not significantly affect eye recovery. The cause of dry eyes can be investigated and additional steps may be taken to minimize or reverse the effects before undergoing laser eye surgery.
Women over 50 years of age are statistically at greater risk of suffering from dry eyes. In fact, many patients who were previously told that they didn't qualify for LASIK due to an underlying eye condition may now be candidates for corrective vision surgery. A mild anesthetic solution is placed in the eye using a dropper and a specialized device helps keep the eye in place. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 95% of patients will experience some type of dry eye after surgery.
This is quite common and can be treated with drops that the laser eye surgeon will give you to take home after the procedure. At the Northeastern Eye Institute, our expert team will carefully evaluate your dry eyes and recommend the most appropriate course of action for you. Determining the extent of dry eye can help doctors assess whether the condition will make LASIK surgery medically impossible. LASIK eye surgery can free you from wearing glasses or contact lenses for life, but it may not be right for everyone, especially for people with dry eye symptoms.
