before surgery dry eyes - Lasik Eye Surgery Message Board

perfecteyes · 03-21-2006, 08:58 AM

The reason I am thinking about lasik surgery is because my eyes get real tired and dry by the end of the day with contacts in all the time. If I have dry eyes with contacts in will it get worst with the surgery. I have no problems with dry eyes when I wear glasses.

Hating glasses · 03-21-2006, 09:42 AM

perfecteyes,
Have you have a consultation to see if you are a candidate yet? I can't remember if you have. If you haven't, when you go for your consultaion, have the doctor test your tear consistancy. Tell them about your concern about contact wearing dryness. Be specific as to roughly what time your eyes start to get dry. It may be common. I think the dry eye test is called something like a Shirmer's test. Some of the other posters can tell you what it is called. I've never had one but, some of my fellow dry eye sufferers have had the test. It is supposed to tell your doctor whether you have an undetected or un-diagnosed dry eye issue. It can tell you how much tear production you have.
Take care and keep in touch!

sdv · 03-23-2006, 06:34 AM

Perfect Eyes,

Dry eyes before surgery can definitely put you at a higher risk after surgery. Like Hating Glasses said, there are lots of tests that they can do to determine your level of dryness. However, if you are already symptomatic, then I would be concerned. You do not want to take a mild dry eye condition and push it over the edge into something more serious and painful. I believe that is what happened in my case. I had the same problems with contact lenses that you describe. However, when I took them out my eyes were fine. After lasik though, my eyes always feel dry and even worse than they did with the contacts. Please be careful with lasik.

-Michelle

Brown_eyes · 03-23-2006, 08:09 AM

I had the tear test done(shimmer's?) bfr surgery. I tear pretty good according to the test but I too had problems with contacts drying out.
Since it was people's number one complaint I decided to see what could be done pre-op. In my research I found that having restasis or punctal plugs put in would help. I have not had any problems really with dry eyes post-op. There was one day that I had dry spot and the only thing I can think of is that I was tired that day, allergies and I neglected my tear drop schedule the day before. They put me on a schedule for tear drops post-op every 10 minutes then a week after every 15 or as often as needed. I use the drops as they recommend since I am still in the early stages of healing but it may be different for everyone.
If you get the plugs done, when they put the plugs in you feel them at first but after they sink in you don't feel them anymore unless you look to the far reaches of your viewing field.

Julesjewels · 03-31-2006, 09:34 AM

I agree with what everyone has said. I've been using Restasis for the past year along with an eye gel at night. As my doctor said, my eyes are bone dry. We've tried the plugs, which are only a temporary fix. They seemed to help but have already fallen out. We tried plugs again just the other day and can't even get them to go all the way in, so my next step is to cauterize the drains.

I'd like to get corrective eye surgery and my doctor said something very important:
We have to get the dry eyes under control first because corrective eye surgery will only dry the eyes more! Please do as the other posters have suggested and have your tear level checked before going through with the Lasik procedure.

Good luck!