Relapse after lasik surgery, why?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi Bich Nhi - Ophthalmologist - General Surgery Department - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Lasik surgery is a safe, accurate and highly effective surgery, so it is very popular and widely used. However, due to a number of reasons, the patient can be relapsing.

1. Why is myopia relapsing after surgery?

LASIK is a method of using lasers to correct the curvature of the cornea, which is then used to treat refractive diseases. In which myopia surgery by this method is very preferred by young people because:
This is a safe method: Surgery has little risk of affecting vision Lasik surgery is a safe surgery , precise and highly effective, correct and also proven that the laser does not damage the internal components of the eye. No pain during and after surgery, no bleeding. Vision improvement is very effective: Patients can improve vision one day after surgery and gradually stabilize over time. After surgery, the patient can see objects clearly without the use of vision aids. The procedure takes only a few minutes and the patient is discharged home the same day.

Along with the advantages, some cases of patients may be re-sighted after lasik surgery because of the following reasons and factors:
Due to the anatomical structure of the patient's eye that is not convenient for the surgical process such as: small, narrow eye socket, abnormal radius of curvature such as too high or too low. Performing surgery when myopia is not stable: Before surgery, doctors need to evaluate eye diseases to know the extent of myopia development during at least 1 year. Normally, we don't often have the habit of checking myopia every 6 months, so we don't know in the past time whether myopia has been stable or not. within the past 1 year or not increases the risk of relapsing. Due to refractive changes of the lens: Over time, the lens will gradually age, lose its elasticity and transparency. Changes in the transparency of the lens can change the refractive index, thereby causing myopia. People with high nearsightedness of more than 6 diopters have a high probability of re-occurrence because the essence of this method is to use a laser to erode the cornea to change the curvature, thereby reducing myopia. The higher the degree of myopia, the more eroded the cornea is, so it will be thin. Therefore, this part of the cornea is not enough to bear the pressure, leading to the corneal dilatation and re-appearance Bad living habits after surgery: The fact that the patient does not take good care of his or her eyes after surgery. is a risk factor for nearsightedness, often having bad habits such as looking at the screen too close, using a phone with a screen that is not bright enough, using devices with strong light in the dark, looking at too bright, continuous work does not allow the eyes to rest, often stay up late a lot, sleep not enough... the possibility of nearsightedness is high.

Do not use drugs according to the instructions after surgery: After surgery for myopia, patients are indicated to use artificial tears for 3-6 months to avoid dry eyes. Myopia surgery takes time for the body to heal itself. However, depending on the location of each person, the time of wound recovery is fast or slow. No periodic eye examination: The fact that after being nearsighted for many years can affect the retina, when the surgery only affects and changes the cornea, it does not affect the retina, so the ability to see after surgery is not good. dependent on the retina. Therefore, it is important to have regular eye exams and take care of your eyes.

2. How to limit re-occurrence after surgery?

6 months to 1 year before surgery should be examined to assess the stability of myopia, for people over 40 years old should wait for surgery with cataract. It is necessary to visit a specialized medical facility to be examined and prescribed the appropriate surgical method. Thereby limiting the risk of complications later and the possibility of re-occurrence. After about 1 week after lasik surgery, you can participate in sports activities such as walking, yoga, nursing... to relax or play gentle sports. This not only helps to exercise better health and spirit for the eyes to be restored to nearsightedness quickly. After surgery, do not play and practice strong sports such as boxing, martial arts... Immediately after surgery, you must avoid getting water into your eyes, do not play water sports because water will directly affect your eyes. The recovery process is longer, and the water in the lake is not clean, which is not good for the eyes after surgery. It is necessary to abstain from water activities for about 3 months. Avoid getting soap in the eye area: In the process of washing your face or washing your hair, be careful not to let soap or detergent get into your eyes. When showering, prepare a soft, dry towel to avoid water getting into your eyes. No eye makeup for 1 month For women, how to take care of your eyes after LASIK surgery should note that it is not wearing eye makeup for 1 month and absolutely do not use eye makeup products such as: eyeliner or mascara. And after 1 month to avoid new infections when using makeup, it is best to buy high-quality eye makeup.

Protect your eyes when working with a computer or using a smartphone: When working with a computer screen, it is necessary to ensure a reasonable distance to the eyes of about 50 to 65cm. With a TV screen, you should also sit at a suitable distance, usually from 2 to 3 times the size of the TV screen, do not use a lot of mobile phones, do not look too close and use the phone in the dark. Do not sit for too long in front of the computer: When sitting in front of the screen for about 30 minutes, you should also rest your eyes for a few minutes and then continue working. Regularly close your eyes to rest your eyes: During work or during the day, you should regularly close your eyes for a few minutes so that your eyes can rest and relax. Avoid stress and fatigue for the eyes, this greatly affects the eyes after surgery. Should not stay up late, should get enough sleep: Should sleep enough from 7-8 hours a day Some causes of relapsing after lasik surgery can be overcome by themselves with good habits. Therefore, maintaining a good habit to protect the eyes is necessary to reduce the risk of re-occurrence. In addition, choosing a reputable examination and treatment facility is also a necessity to avoid giving incorrect surgical indications.
Doctor CKI Nguyen Thi Bich Nhi has nearly 10 years of experience in the eye field. Treatment of medical eye diseases as well as eye surgery such as: pterygium, entropion, milia, glaucoma and cataract surgery by Phaco method. Besides, it also treats diabetic retinopathy by intraocular Anti-VEGF injection and ophthalmic surgery. Currently, the doctor is an Eye Doctor in the Department of Medical Examination - Internal Medicine, Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.
To register for examination and treatment at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide, or register online HERE

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