You may or may not experience problems with night vision afterLASIK eye surgery. Though it’s hard to predict whether you will experience this complication, there are some risk factors.
wundervisuals / Getty Images
It is normal for your night vision to be reduced for several nights after undergoing Lasik surgery. Many people experience temporary night vision problems after Lasik that can last for days, weeks, or even months. This temporary effect is completely normal and will most likely improve over time.
Common night vision problems that sometimes develop after having Lasik include glare, halos, and starbursts, which can makedriving at nightdifficult. For some people, these can become long-term problems after surgery.
Causes
Short-term issues with glare, halos, starbursts, and difficulty seeing in dim light are common problems after having Lasik due to swelling of the cornea.
Some night vision problems persist past therecovery period, however, and may be due to the following:
Risk Factors
Some people are more likely than others to develop night vision problems after Lasik, based on certain characteristics of their eyes. People with larger pupils and those with greater refractive error are at higher risk.
Ask your Lasik surgeon about your chances ofcomplicationswhen you’re discussing your surgery. Yourophthalmologist(eye surgeon) will be able to determine your risk and fine-tune your Lasik procedure to mitigate complications as best as possible.
Treatment
Many treatments are available for improving night vision problems after Lasik. If a refractive error continues to bother you, prescription eyeglasses or an additional Lasik “enhancement” procedure may be necessary to correct the problem. After undergoing Lasik, there is a possibility that you may need to wear reading glasses or corrective lenses for some activities.
Picking Between PRK vs. LASIK Eye Surgery
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Klyce SD.Night vision disturbances after refractive surgery: haloes are not just for angels.Br J Ophthalmol. 2007;91(8):992–993. doi:10.1136/bjo.2007.115139Kligman BE, Baartman BJ, Dupps WJ Jr.Errors in Treatment of Lower-order Aberrations and Induction of Higher-order Aberrations in Laser Refractive Surgery.Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2016;56(2):19–45. doi:10.1097/IIO.0000000000000113Khalifa MA, Allam WA, Shaheen MS.Visual outcome after correcting the refractive error of large pupil patients with wavefront-guided ablation.Clin Ophthalmol. 2012;6:2001–2011. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S38182Additional ReadingAzar, Dimitri T. and Douglas D. Koch. Lasik: Fundamentals, Surgical Techniques, and Complications. Marcel Dekker, Inc.
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Klyce SD.Night vision disturbances after refractive surgery: haloes are not just for angels.Br J Ophthalmol. 2007;91(8):992–993. doi:10.1136/bjo.2007.115139Kligman BE, Baartman BJ, Dupps WJ Jr.Errors in Treatment of Lower-order Aberrations and Induction of Higher-order Aberrations in Laser Refractive Surgery.Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2016;56(2):19–45. doi:10.1097/IIO.0000000000000113Khalifa MA, Allam WA, Shaheen MS.Visual outcome after correcting the refractive error of large pupil patients with wavefront-guided ablation.Clin Ophthalmol. 2012;6:2001–2011. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S38182Additional ReadingAzar, Dimitri T. and Douglas D. Koch. Lasik: Fundamentals, Surgical Techniques, and Complications. Marcel Dekker, Inc.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Klyce SD.Night vision disturbances after refractive surgery: haloes are not just for angels.Br J Ophthalmol. 2007;91(8):992–993. doi:10.1136/bjo.2007.115139Kligman BE, Baartman BJ, Dupps WJ Jr.Errors in Treatment of Lower-order Aberrations and Induction of Higher-order Aberrations in Laser Refractive Surgery.Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2016;56(2):19–45. doi:10.1097/IIO.0000000000000113Khalifa MA, Allam WA, Shaheen MS.Visual outcome after correcting the refractive error of large pupil patients with wavefront-guided ablation.Clin Ophthalmol. 2012;6:2001–2011. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S38182
Klyce SD.Night vision disturbances after refractive surgery: haloes are not just for angels.Br J Ophthalmol. 2007;91(8):992–993. doi:10.1136/bjo.2007.115139
Kligman BE, Baartman BJ, Dupps WJ Jr.Errors in Treatment of Lower-order Aberrations and Induction of Higher-order Aberrations in Laser Refractive Surgery.Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2016;56(2):19–45. doi:10.1097/IIO.0000000000000113
Khalifa MA, Allam WA, Shaheen MS.Visual outcome after correcting the refractive error of large pupil patients with wavefront-guided ablation.Clin Ophthalmol. 2012;6:2001–2011. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S38182
Azar, Dimitri T. and Douglas D. Koch. Lasik: Fundamentals, Surgical Techniques, and Complications. Marcel Dekker, Inc.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
