{"id":19910,"date":"2021-11-12T06:50:51","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T06:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=19910"},"modified":"2021-11-12T06:50:51","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T06:50:51","slug":"dry-eyes-after-lasik","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/optical\/guide-to-laser-refractive-surgery\/dry-eyes-after-lasik\/","title":{"rendered":"Dry Eyes After LASIK"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dry eye syndrome is the most common side effect of LASIK, affecting 9 out 10 people.<\/b><\/h2>\n

LASIK is the most frequently performed laser refractive eye surgery<\/a>, with over 16 million people having undergone LASIK to eliminate the need for corrective eyewear once and for all.<\/p>\n

While LASIK is considered both safe and effective for the correction of myopia<\/a>, hyperopia<\/a> and astigmatism<\/a>, it still carries some risk of complications and adverse effects\u2014 one of the most common being dry eyes.<\/a><\/p>\n

LASIK and dry eyes<\/b><\/h2>\n

Around 95 percent of post-LASIK patients report symptoms of dry eye for up to a few days or weeks post- surgery.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, these side effects are typically short-lived, as many post-LASIK patients notice significant improvements in their symptoms as time progresses.<\/p>\n

Approximately 60 percent of patients report continued dry eye symptoms one month post-LASIK, and by 6 to 12 months post-surgery, most patients have fully recovered.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Chronic dry eye symptoms one year post-surgery and beyond are generally very uncommon.<\/p>\n

Symptoms of dry eyes\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

The most common dry eye symptoms following a LASIK procedure include:<\/p>\n