Dry Eye Disease and LASER Surgery

For many people, LASER eye surgery changes their lives for the better. However, Dry eye is a common complication of LASER surgery. Often it is temporary but for some it persists and causes a chronic problem. When you have LASER surgery the corneal nerves are cut when the flap is cut either by the microtome or by the LASER. These nerves send signals to the lacrimal glands telling them to release the aqueous into the tears. Without this innervation the glands may not produce enough aqueous and the eye can become very dry.

Often the people who have chronic dry eye post LASER report symptoms of dry eye before the surgery. We would advise clients who may have mild Dry Eye prior to LASER surgery to consider the risks before having surgery and potentially damaging the glands further. At the Dry Eye Centre we see many patients who have had LASER surgery. In many cases like this, it is not possible to correct the cause of the Dry Eye so we regularly monitor and treat the symptoms. After an initial assessment, we devise a tailored treatment program based on your unique needs.

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Treatment Time: Who is IPL not suitable for?

Who is not suitable for Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Treatment

Unfortunately people of Afro-Caribbean or South East Asian origin may not be suitable for IPL. This is because the higher density of melanin in their skin absorbs the Intense Pulsed Light which produces heat in the skin and can lead to a condition like sun burn or discolouration of the skin. We will tell you if you are a suitable candidate for IPL at your initial assessment.

What do all the tests we do mean? 
At the Dry Eye Centre we do a battery of tests to diagnose your dry eye, including: LipiView, Meibography, InflammaDry, Schirmers test, Meibomium gland evaluator, Slitlamp bio-microscopy. Interested in an initial assessment to identify what treatment would be right for your Dry Eye? Book an appointment with us today.

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