Corrective Laser Eye Surgery Impact on Night Vision

by | Jul 9, 2013 | Healthcare

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When corrective laser eye surgery started to gain momentum some twenty years ago, there was still some room for improvement.  One major area of concern was distorted night vision after surgery.  Although the surgery would correct the vision issue, recipients of the surgery would see halos and glares in the dark.  As technology improves, these night vision issues have practically disappeared.

What Causes the Problem?
Immediately after corrective laser eye surgery, the cornea may still be swollen which may make vision in the dark a little distorted.  If the problem persists though, there may be an underlying problem like a Residual Refractive Error.  This error can cause your eye to over or under correct to compensate for the damage.  Night vision issues can also be attributed to corneal flap issues.  The laser surgery will create a corneal flap which should be completely centered.  Sometimes the flap is off center or doesn’t adhere properly which causes light to bend.

Can Night Vision Problems Be Corrected?
If you had Lasik surgery which resulted in perfect eyesight during the day but problems at night, there are some interventions that may help.  Enlarged pupils can be treated with eye drops.  A refraction error can be fixed with a Lasik enhancement.  Both of these issues can also be improved with corrective lenses.

New and Better Options
Advances in eye care technology have produced better lasers like Wavefront Lasik.  With this machine, patients are less likely to experience any kind of night vision problems.  What makes this technology better is that it is highly customizable.  The Wavefront machine will canvas your eye first, then use that map to guide the Lasik procedure.  Since imperfections are accounted for before the surgery, the doctor will be better able to proceed without the risk of causing night vision problems.

The Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley uses the completely customizable Wavefront Lasik system.  At http://www.2020eyesite.com/ you can learn more about this cutting edge technology as well as the experienced doctor who performs the surgeries.

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