Post-LASIK Risk of Halos and Starbursts around Bright Lights at Night
Almost every kind of treatment – regardless of its safety or success rate – is accompanied by several potential side effects. While these side effects can be inconvenient and often discomforting, it is important to be aware of them when making your decision whether or not to go ahead with any given treatment. And Laser Eye Surgery is no exception.
Laser Eye Surgery is now the most commonly performed elective procedure in the world. Along with this impressive statistic, it is also considered extremely safe and effective. But that doesn’t mean it is without its side effects.
Unfortunately, these side effects are often inadequately explained, hidden in microscopic print, or simply brushed under the rug by some Laser Eye Surgery providers. This is usually for a simple reason – they are driven by sales figures. However, we recognise the importance of being fully informed when making a decision as important as this one. So, let’s talk about Laser Eye Surgery’s side effects!
One of the more common side effects of Laser Eye Surgery is the appearance of halos and starbursts around light sources.
Night Glare: Halos and Starbursts after LASIK
LASIK is the most commonly performed Laser Eye Surgery procedure. The vast majority of patients will be suitable for this treatment (and PRK/LASEK or ReLEx SMILE will likely be an option for most people who are not). As such, it is considered one of the safest elective procedures; however, there is one side effect that every LASIK patient will experience to some extent: night glare.
In the video below, our expert Laser Eye Surgeon, Mr Glenn Carp, explains what causes nighttime side effects after Laser Eye Surgery.
As Mr Carp explains, post-Laser Eye Surgery night glare occurs as a result of swelling in the eyes. While this might sound a little unpleasant, swelling is a normal part of your eye’s natural healing response following treatment. While it is unnoticeable to the eye, swelling after Laser Eye Surgery can cause changes to our vision, such as the appearance of halos and starbursts around light sources – particularly at night.
‘Halos’ are rings of glare that appear around light sources while ‘starbursts’ appear more like scattered glare.
The severity and longevity of these symptoms can vary significantly from patient to patient. One patient may not even notice night glare after their Laser Eye Surgery while another may find them extremely noticeable. Similarly, some patients may find that these side effects resolve within a few days or weeks while others may notice them for months to come.
Swelling in the eyes after Laser Eye Surgery typically takes around three months to settle. This means that most patients will also stop experiencing night glare at this time; however, this isn’t always the case.
As Mr Carp explains, “If patients still have residual night vision glare after that time period, testing can be performed to ascertain where that night vision glare is originating from and, therefore, what can be done to resolve that for them.”
Minimising the Risk of Night Glare
As mentioned above, some night glare should always be expected following Laser Eye Surgery treatment. All patients will require a period of adjustment and healing following their procedure; however, some things can be done to manage and reduce the impact of night glare.
Pupil size can have a significant effect on the severity of night glare. For example, night glare can appear worse if a patient’s pupils dilate beyond the area of the cornea that was treated in their procedure. It is therefore important to have a thorough consultation at your chosen clinic – which should include pupillometry tests to determine whether or not your clinic can treat a large enough area of your cornea before qualifying you for surgery.
While night glare can be an inconvenience, in most cases, it is a short-lived symptom that resolves on its own. However, in some situations, it can be more troublesome – for example, if you are driving at night.
Head lights of other cars and street lights can make night glare seem unbearable and can even make driving at night more dangerous for patients post-surgery. Thankfully, some things can be done to minimise this impact.
Some patients find that keeping the overhead light on inside the car can stop their pupils from dilating too much, which can help to reduce night glare. You can also try medicated eye drops which can work in the same way, reducing the effect of glare on your vision in low light.
If you’d like to learn more about the potential side effects of Laser Eye Surgery, get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators. To find out if you are suitable for treatment, Book a Consultation today.
View Comments (22)
Hi
I am 33 male and working as software consultant
I done lasek 2 weeks ago , from past 2 days I feeling double vision and hazeness, I have to work on computer 8 hours a day, it's comman issue after lasek or its like a complication , Iam worried about my vision. Can some one please suggest me on this??
Hi Srini.
Thank you for your comment. I would suggest that you contact the clinic that performed your surgery and seek advice or a post-operative visit from them. We cannot give you specific information regarding your procedure as we did not perform surgery.
Thanks
Hi
I am 45 years lady, done eye surgery to remove specks( Reading) and now its almost 2.5 month passed still i see halos and starburst at night and small shadow around thing in the sun.
it will remain forever or this will reduce over aperiod of time. or should i replace the lens again as doctor suggested. kindly guide the same.
Hi Priya,
If you are concerned you should go back to your treating surgeon. Night time vision disturbances are a side effect from surgery and are nothing to be concerned about in this early stage of your recovery, they tend to settle down as the eye is healing. You have mentioned lens replacement, patients actually report a higher rate of night time visual disturbances permanently following surgery with a multifocal lens, so I would certainly sit tight and speak to the clinic you had surgery with and ask them to assess you.
Thanks,
London Vision Clinic
Hy,
I had undergone laser surgery during the year 2011. Now about about 3 months ago. Ifeel difficulties in night drive. I feel like lights flickering to my eyes. I went to the hospital where I had my lasik surgery . The doctor said my eyes are in normal condition.They gave me some eye drops. I feel normal after few days. Again now it has become flickering light on my eyes. Like glare and halos. So please tell me how it can be corrected.
Hi Asfer,
After Laser Eye Surgery, every patient will experience night glare, during the eyes healing process. However, this should disappear over time. You would need to have your eyes fully assessed to determine whether a follow-up procedure to tweak your result would be beneficial, or alternatively wearing glasses at night may help. Some patients find medicated eye drops really helpful at preventing their pupils from fully dilating too.
Many Thanks,
London Vision Clinic
Hi,
I am Syed I am working In Software Company And I am using the system in 8 hours per day, and I have trouble to Night glare at riding at bike. It is a Common issues or like starbursts and i did not consult in any Eye specialist pls give them some solution or treatments, I am already using in specs at above 10 years.
Hi Syed, sorry to hear of your troubles. Have you had laser eye surgery? If so, you should get in touch with the clinic and surgeon who treated you for advice on how to manage this.
If you are enquiring about laser eye surgery, you can chat with one of our Patient Care Coordinators on 020 7224 1005. They will be able to provide you with further information at this stage.
Best wishes,
London Vision Clinic
Hi
I had my epi Lasik 1 month back for myopia. My right eye has crisp and clear vision but my left eye has vision fluctuations. I have clear vision during bright day light. During evenings and at low light, I have double vision.
My concern is that I use to sleep with my face resting on pillow. Does the pressure exerted will have any impact on my numbers or my course of healing.
Kindly help...
Bharath, we recommend you contact us for advice on 020 7224 1005. We routinely see patients from all around the world for therapeutic visual assessments and treatment.
After surgery here, we provide you with eye shields that you must wear for the first week after surgery, these prevent pressure or you touching your eyes whilst asleep.
Thanks, London Vision Clinic
I Got lasik 3 and half weeks ago. one eye i had contoura vision, on the other eye the surgeon said he noticed a scar i said yes i scratched my cornea 10 years ago.
so he said we can't get an accurate reading for contoura so he did wavefront optimized using the Allegreta Wavelight platform.
I got big halos in both Eyes for first 2 weeks but starting to subside. but the eye that had wavefront optimized i also see like a smeared effect where the light is like a streak down the middle kind of like a glare through dirty glass.
When i mentioned to the Doctor in 3 week follow up he said Yea contoura vision would eliminate most glare. thats why the glare is worse through the wavefront Optimized eye. i asked if it will go away he said "it might and it goes away in most patients" im kind of annoyed that the glare patterns are diff like in contoura just halos. but halos are going down in both eyes
Should i be concerned yet? why did he say Might?
Hi Ezra,
Unfortunately, we are not able to comment on your eyes without seeing you for a full eye examination. We recommend that you continue reviewing your symptoms with your surgeon throughout your post-operative appointments. They should provide you with support throughout this process.
Kindest Regards,
London Vision Clinic
I have night glare, starburst, white lines during the day , halos and ghost images. My doctor said wait they will sure disappear. I doubt. what is your advice? what shall I do so that I do not feel these side effects. Thank you
Hi Tamara,
We are unable to comment on your vision without fully examining your eyes. As the recovery process can take longer for some patients than others and the eyes can take a few months to settle, we recommend you continue to stay in touch with your surgeon who treated you for aftercare. They should be able to monitor your vision and advise you further.
Kind Regards,
London Vision Clinic
Hi i am muneeb, i got my lasik treatment about 8 months ago. I felt halos around lights after lasik for a long time, they have reduced over the time but i still feel halos and spikes around lights at night, what do you suggest for this? Regards.
Hi Muneeb, we are sorry to hear that you are experiencing some side effects following your treatment. As you are not a patient at London Vision Clinic, we are unfortunately unable to comment. You should seek advice from the surgeon who treated you to manage this and the clinic should continue to support you throughout your aftercare appointments.
Best Wishes,
London Vision Clinic
Hi i am muneeb, i got my lasik treatment about 8 months ago. I felt halos around lights after lasik for a long time, they have reduced over the time but i still feel halos and spikes around lights at night, what do you suggest for this? Regards.
Hi Muneeb, we are sorry to hear that you are experiencing some side effects following your treatment. As you are not a patient at London Vision Clinic, we are unfortunately unable to comment. You should seek advice from the surgeon who treated you to manage this and the clinic should continue to support you throughout your aftercare appointments.
Best Wishes,
London Vision Clinic
what should be done to cure side effects after the laser surgeries? (glare, halos, starburst, ghost images ... etc)
Hi Wolley,
This is down to your surgeon to advise on, a clinic cannot comment without reviewing your treatment and fully examining your eyes. We would recommend reaching out to the clinic who treated you for aftercare advice, they should be able to support and guide you through the recovery process which should be included in your post-operative care.
Best wishes,
London Vision Clinic
Hello, i had my lasik done on 26th of January in Pakistan(contoura vision,topography guided lasik) , i am seeing lots of starburst and halos which gets worsen at night, i wasn't told about this side effect, i am very much concerned about it, will these side effects fade with time or be there forever? Please guide me regarding this.I had a check up at eye clinic today, doctor said it won't get away, the brain will adapt to ignore it or you can go through lasik again to make the corneal curvature smooth.
Hi Sabin,
Unfortunately we can't comment on your eyes without a full examination to advise what is best. You should seek advice from your treating eye surgeon. We hope this helps.
Kind Regards,
London Vision Clinic