Post-LASIK patients risk of halos and starbursts around bright lights at night
Side effects are never a wanted accompaniment to any type of treatment – whether expected or not. But the reality is that side effects occur with almost all kinds of medical and surgical treatments – and the same applies to Laser Eye Surgery.
Therefore, it is always best to be aware of what you can expect when you have treatment. For example, what are the common side effects and what exactly do they entail.
Unfortunately, side effects are often treated as an afterthought or something that should be hidden in the corner in microscopic print. This is often the case with over-the-counter drugs and high street Laser Eye Surgery providers, and it’s generally always for the same reason – they are driven by sales figures.
Ironically, this type of deception is often more painful and harmful than the side effects themselves. Being aware of the risks places you in the best position to manage them – making them instantly less troubling.
So, what are some of the common side effects associated with Laser Eye Surgery?
Night glare as a result of LASIK
Laser Eye Surgery has become one of the most commonly performed elective procedures in the world. This has also helped to make it one of the safest with very little risk of side effects. But, one side effect that every LASIK patient experiences are night glare.
Night-time effects after Laser Eye Surgery are unavoidable due to swelling that occurs from the procedure.This happens to every patient, regardless of the original prescription, age, or individual experience of surgery.
Night glare can also come in the form of ‘halos’ or ‘starbursts’. Halos are the rings which appear around light sources, while starbursts are the glare you see around lights.
The severity and longevity of these night glare issues can vary significantly from patient to patient. Some may only see halos and starbursts for a few days while for others, they may persist for longer. But, to whatever extent they occur, you can be assured that they are just temporary and are all part of the eye’s natural healing process.
Typically swelling takes around three months to settle fully. It is not uncommon to have a little residual night glare after this time, but if it is causing significant disruption, tests can be carried out to get to the source of the issue and figure out how it could be resolved.
How to Minimise Chances of Night Glare
As stated, some night glare is to be expected as part of your eyes’ natural healing process following LASIK treatment. There will always be a period of adjustment and healing time following treatment, but there are some things that can be done to manage and reduce the effects of night glare.
One factor that can play a role in excessive night glare is the size of the pupils. Night glare often occurs after LASIK if your pupils dilate beyond the area of the cornea which has been treated.
It is therefore important to have a thorough consultation that will determine whether or not your clinic can treat a large enough area of your cornea before qualifying you for surgery. This is one of the reasons why the initial consultation is such an important part of the Laser Eye Surgery process.
Night glare may be an annoyance but, in most situations, it is often not a serious problem. However, it can become an issue if you are driving at night.
When driving, 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 would like to learn more about the side effects of Laser Eye Surgery, speak to one of our friendly Clinic Coordinators today. Call 020 7224 1005 – we’d love to hear from you.
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