Scraping Corneal Scar Tissue?

I have scarring on my cornea that's causing increasing astigmatism and decreasing vision. A cornea specialist is treating my extreme dry eye condition for 3 weeks; although, I didn't quite understand the connection between the scar tissue and dry eye. The doctor is suggesting that he will likely want to scrape the scar tissue, but he also indicated that this is a procedure that results in a good deal of post-procedure pain. What is the connection between dry eye and corneal scar tissue? Is the scraping process a legitimate way to go? Thank you for your opinion and information.

[Houman Vosoghi, MD]

1)  Corneal scarring could affect dry eyes in a couple of ways.  First, it may cause irregularity to the surface of the eye which would cause uneven distribution of tears and areas of drying as a result.  Second, if any corneal nerves are damaged from the initial injury, you could have lack of feedback and inadequate tear production.
2)  I can not answer your second question without having examined your eyes.  I would advise to make sure you are seeing a cornea specialist and get a second opinion if you are in doubt.

HV