Your eye care practice’s patients might expect to see their vision dramatically improve right after undergoing LASIK surgery. However, they’ll have to heal for at least a few weeks and sometimes several months before they see results.
In the meantime, patients may have to deal with LASIK dry eyes. This is one of the most common complications following laser eye surgery.
You can help patients recognize and manage the symptoms of LASIK dry eye. Learn how below.
What Causes Dry Eyes After LASIK Surgery?
LASIK surgery may work wonders for a patient’s eyesight once the healing process is complete. However, many who undergo the procedure find it affects their corneal nerves and tear production, leading to dry eyes.
Learn what causes this unsettling issue.
Overview of LASIK’s Impact on the Eye
During surgery, a LASIK doctor uses a femtosecond laser to reshape the eye’s cornea. To do this, tiny cuts are made in the corneal nerves.
When these nerves sustain damage, a patient’s eyes won’t produce enough tears. This may lead to a patient suffering from severe dry eye.
Thankfully, this shouldn’t become a long-term issue after laser eye surgery. The patient’s corneal nerves will eventually regain corneal sensitivity and start producing tears like normal again.
Disruption of Tear Film
Laser eye surgery doesn’t just damage a patient’s corneal nerve; it also disrupts the effectiveness of their eyes’ tear film.
The tear film has three layers:
- Lipid layer: The outermost or oily layer
- Aqueous layer: The middle or watery layer
- Mucin layer: The innermost or mucous layer
Following LASIK, the balance of these three layers is thrown off. This can produce dry eye symptoms. It might even make you feel like you’re suffering from dry eye syndrome or ocular surface disease.
Who Is Likely To Experience LASIK Dry Eyes?
Not everyone who undergoes laser eye surgery will experience dry eyes. Here are the types of patients you should monitor closely.
Patients With Pre-Existing Dry Eye
According to the National Eye Institute, roughly 16 million Americans have dry eye syndrome, which increases their chances of being diagnosed with LASIK dry eyes following their surgeries.
Your practice may want to consider not performing LASIK on patients with this syndrome. It can increase the incidence and risk factors for a patient to be diagnosed with dry eye.
Give your patients this dry eye questionnaire to determine whether they suffer from pre-operative dry eye symptoms.
Patients Experiencing Age and Hormonal Factors
Patients with dry eye syndrome aren’t the only ones at a higher risk of developing dry eyes after LASIK.
Older patients and women experiencing the hormonal changes associated with menopause might also be diagnosed with dry eye following refractive surgery, so you should consider those factors when applicable.
Patients Dealing With Environmental and Lifestyle Factors
Some environmental and lifestyle factors may negatively impact a person’s eyes after undergoing LASIK. The following patients might be affected by dry eye symptoms more than others:
- Anyone who works in a dry environment
- Those who spend long hours staring at screens
- People routinely exposed to air conditioning
Common Symptoms of Post-LASIK Dry Eye
Dry eyes are usually itchy. If a patient who recently underwent LASIK has the condition, this is one of the first symptoms they’ll recognize.
Get more information on other dry eye symptoms you should look out for.
Signs and Symptoms
Keep an eye out for these common LASIK dry eye symptoms:
- Redness
- Burning
- Grittiness
- Blurry vision
- Eye fatigue
- Light sensitivity
- Foreign body sensation
- Decreased sensation
It’s normal for patients to experience soreness after LASIK, but if their eyes won’t stop burning or itching for hours on end, this may suggest the need for dry eye treatment.
Duration of Symptoms
Unfortunately, dry eye symptoms won’t typically go away within a few days, weeks, or even months. Most patients experience these dry eye symptoms for six to 12 months following LASIK before they start to disappear.
Some LASIK patients might also experience eye dryness for longer than that. In rare cases, chronic dry eye symptoms might affect patients for years.
How To Prevent Dry Eyes After LASIK
Preventing dry eyes after LASIK is possible. Patients can work with their eye doctor to manage dry eye symptoms following the procedure.
Preoperative Strategies
Fighting dry eye and its risk factors should start long before a patient allows an eye doctor to perform refractive surgery. Before the procedure, you should evaluate patients for signs of dry eye syndrome.
Here are other preoperative strategies that can minimize the chances of patients dealing with dry eye.
Pre-Surgery Treatments
You can offer patients these pre-surgery treatment options to lower their chances of being diagnosed with LASIK dry eye, including:
- Eye drops
- Punctal plugs
- Omega-3 fish oil supplements
Each option may improve tear production and eye health.
Surgeon Selection and Technique
Thousands of options exist for those searching for an eye doctor to perform LASIK. Anyone interested in laser eye surgery should explore these options and select a well-respected eye doctor.
Your practice should utilize advanced LASIK techniques to show patients how serious you are about preventing LASIK-associated dry eye.
Optimizing Tear Production
Using artificial tears or other eye drops is one way to optimize tear production in the weeks leading up to LASIK surgery. You might also get your eyes to produce more tears by placing warm compresses on them or using lid hygiene products.
Making Lifestyle Adjustments
Patients can even make important lifestyle adjustments to prevent dry eye symptoms. These adjustments include increasing the humidity levels at home and limiting screen time.
Effective Treatments for LASIK Dry Eyes
No matter how hard patients try to avoid post-LASIK dry eyes, the condition might still bite them. Evidence suggests that these might be the most effective dry eye treatments.
Artificial Tears
Advise patients to purchase preservative-free artificial tears and use them as directed. These eye drops will keep a patient’s eyes lubricated post-surgery.
Patients should keep using eye drops even after dry eye symptoms disappear. Many patients stop using them too soon.
Prescription Medications
If dry eye is bothering a patient to no end, there are prescription medications that an eye doctor may provide.
Consider prescribing topical cyclosporine (Restasis) or lifitegrast (Xiidra) to patients with severe dry eye. These medications will increase tear production and reduce inflammation.
Punctal Plugs
Punctal plugs are considered a last resort for those with extreme dry eye after LASIK. These plugs increase tears by blocking tear drainage channels.
Long-Term Solutions for Chronic Dry Eye
Look for long-term solutions for those who develop chronic dry eye and help them maintain better tear stability.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Therapy
This newer dry eye treatment reduces inflammation and improves the production of tears for chronic dry eye patients.
Lipiflow Therapy
This treatment uses heat and pressure to clear blocked meibomian glands. It improves the tear film’s lipid layer.
When To Consult an Optometrist or Surgeon for LASIK Dry Eyes
During follow-ups after LASIK surgery, let your patients know when they should reach out for medical attention for dry eyes. Here are some examples of when they should do it.
Ongoing Symptoms
Dry eye symptoms might last weeks or months. If they persist for more than that, advise patients to make appointments.
Regular Checkups
Emphasize the importance of post-surgery checkups with patients. Encourage them to make follow-up appointments so you can monitor their recovery and manage dry eye symptoms.
Tailored Treatment Plans
Create personalized treatment plans for patients and speak with them about how this can improve the outcomes for those experiencing chronic dry eye symptoms.
How Weave Can Support Optometry Practices Managing LASIK Patients
Would you like a hand with treating LASIK patients? Weave offers the right solutions.
Improving Patient Communication
Weave’s communication tools help practices connect with patients after LASIK surgery. This enables them to follow up with patients and send them reminders so they can address concerns about post-LASIK dry eye symptoms. Make your practice more efficient with Weave’s texting and communication tools.
Allowing Online Appointment Scheduling and Providing Reminders
Weave’s online scheduling, automated reminders, and messaging simplify appointment management. This makes it easier for practices to monitor LASIK patients during their recoveries.
Managing Online Reviews and Patient Feedback
Weave’s platform collects online reviews and feedback from patients about LASIK outcomes. This allows practices to highlight their success stories and quickly address patient concerns.
Streamlining Billing and Payments
Weave’s solutions for billing and payments assist practices in managing invoices for LASIK-related services, including dry eye treatments.
Take Care of Your Patients Suffering From LASIK Dry Eyes With Weave’s Help
For patients undergoing LASIK, dry eyes come with the territory. It’s a common complication that can impact tear function, leaving a patient’s eyes red and itchy.
Keep everything you’ve learned here in mind as your practice treats patients with dry eye following LASIK procedures. Watch the webinar “Lessons in Opening an Eye Care Practice” to discover more about how practices can implement solutions like Weave to provide exceptional care and streamline operations in the competitive optometry field.
