Night Vision and LASIK
Can LASIK Cause Night Vision Problems?
LASIK surgery is safe and effective. Over 95% of patients report being satisfied or extremely satisfied with their results; less than one percent have complications that do not resolve on their own over time. A common fear of patients who consider New Jersey LASIK surgery is a decrease in night vision. With a little knowledge and a great surgeon, these fears can be allayed and complications avoided.
First off, humans aren’t meant to see perfectly at night; we don’t have what’s called a tapetum lucidum, a layer of tissue in the eye that increases the amount of light our photoreceptors receive. It’s the thing that makes cats’ eyes glow back at us in the dark when we shine a flashlight on them.
When you have New Jersey LASIK surgery, you are directly operating on the cornea of the eye; this is roughly the exterior edge of the eye. Your pupil, the black part of your eye, controls the amount of light your eye receives. The less light, the larger the pupil grows to let in more light to see, and vice versa. The pupil of your eye is in the interior, behind the cornea.
Talk to Your New Jersey LASIK Surgeon
If you have unusually large pupils to begin with, you may not be an optimal candidate for LASIK because of the increased risk in problems with night vision. When the already large pupil enlarges to catch more light, it may enlarge past the edges where your LASIK surgery took place. If that occurs, you may see starbursts and/or halos as well as an increased amount of glare in low- and no-light conditions.
Wavefront LASIK (also called Waveguided and Custom Lasik) creates a 3-D computer-guided model of your eye to help your doctor better perform LASIK surgery. Dr. Steven C. Schallhorn, former Navy eye surgeon (retired) favors wavefront LASIK over conventional LASIK because of the reduction in night vision side effects (an extremely important factor when operating on active duty and reservist pilots).
Age Can Be a Factor
Anecdotally, some physicians are recommending flax seed oil, omega-3 fish oil, and/or vitamin A. These common supplements are believed to help dry eye as well as night vision (and dry eye can contribute to poor night vision), but have not been proven through clinical study. However, be aware that decreased night vision is a common process of aging; depending on the age you elect to have New Jersey LASIK surgery, it may simply be a natural progression unrelated to the procedure.
Improve Your Chances for Success
5th Avenue Eye Center’s Dr.Ilan Cohen is a fellowship trained cornea and refractive surgeon with the skills and expertise to assess your individual eyes and determine the proper procedure for you. Choosing an ethical and competent New Jersey LASIK surgeon can make all the difference in the world in the success of your procedure and the reduction in complications such as trouble with night vision. Invest in yourself by choosing one of the nation’s most respected refractive surgeons. Contact us today at (212) 724-2020 to schedule your free consultation.
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