How do dry eyes affect the outcome of laser vision correction?
• Answer: Surgical procedures can disrupt the production of tears. The lack of continuous tears and reflex tears results in dry eyes. Patients with dry eyes are less likely to achieve optimal vision. In most cases dry eyes are worse especially when making a cap or flap as compared to no cap or flap with surface Epi-Laser. Patents who seek laser vision correction may have underlying dry eye symptoms such as scratchiness, mucous discharge, irritation from wind or smoke, eyes sticking together when awakening in the morning, light sensitivity, contact lens discomfort and contact lens solution sensitivity. Dryness of the eyes occurs as we naturally age along with medications and autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis. We recommend the use of artificial tears and tear duct plugs in most patients above the age of 47. This will greatly diminish dry eyes symptoms which are mostly temporary after laser vision correction. About 14% of the US population already has dry eyes. The causes of
