Comments on: Night vision problems with LASIK

Question: Night vision problems with LASIK

speedoavenger — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 15:54:17 -0800

For those mefites who have had LASIK surgery, especially those who had the surgery done with the Allegretto Wave laser, what was your NIGHT VISION like after the surgery? I had the surgery a week ago, and I'm seeing very large starbursts of light when driving at night. It doesn't give me searing headaches, but I find it very annoying and distracting. Is this something permanent that I should brace myself for now? Can night vision problems be corrected with an enhancement surgery?

My pupils are large at 8mm, but I made sure that the optical zone of the laser is larger than my pupils. Did your night vision problems go away right after surgery, or did it get better after a few weeks or months? Overall, I'm happy with the surgery. I just wish I would have done a little more research before hand. On a positive note, my vision is 20/20:-)

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 16:21:57 -0800

My night vision problems cleared up within a few weeks, if I remember correctly. No starbursts or halos or anything now, 3 years after, at least.

By: rob511

rob511 — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 16:29:59 -0800

My understanding is that, post-LASIK, the halo effect is quite common. It happened to me, and was mildly distracting while driving at night. (To be honest, my night vision had never been that good beforehand.) Then, perhaps 3-4 months after the surgery, it suddenly cleared up. One night I noticed the effect, the next it was gone just that suddenly. I now have no residual effects from the op, although I would happily have lived with the halos in return for the improved vision and overall clarity.

By: speedoavenger

speedoavenger — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 16:31:33 -0800

I'm very glad your night vision problems went away MrMoonPie. Your story gives me hope.

By: gottabefunky

gottabefunky — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 16:44:39 -0800

I had it for about a month, more or less. Very annoying, but it did go away.

By: adamrice

adamrice — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 17:30:33 -0800

My wife had halos bad enough that she really shouldn't have been driving for 2 weeks, perhaps more. After about 8 months, those halos were pretty much gone. Her pupils are big enough that she was a borderline candidate for LASIK.

By: dmd

dmd — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 17:38:54 -0800

It's been 7 years since my surgery, and I still am functionally blind at night.

By: substrate

substrate — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 17:45:25 -0800

I had it for a month or so, then my vision was sharp even at night.

By: allelopath

allelopath — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 18:50:40 -0800

They should go away as most are saying here, unless you have large pupils, which you probably don't unless you noticed this effect before you had lasik.

By: nebulawindphone

nebulawindphone — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 19:16:42 -0800

unless you have large pupils

The poster says he does.

By: speedoavenger

speedoavenger — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 01:36:07 -0800

Large pupils seem to present more complications, but there is still no consensus on pupil size in the lasik community.