LASIK Surgery, Dry Eye, swollen lower eyelids

[Scoobydoo999]

I had LASIK surgery 2 years ago and since then I have developed a spot of dry eye in both eyes. It comes and goes and whilst the right eye can get quite bad, the left eye is rarely troubled. I had to have an enhancement to my right eye as the initial LASIK treatment over-corrected my sight whereas my left eye came out bang on target. I never had dry eye before so I assume this is linked to the surgery and I am stuck with it for life. Any suggestions as to how I can get rid of it for good?

Also I have swollen lower eyebags which I am very conscious of. I have photo evidence that they were not puffy before the surgery but my surgeon would not accept that the surgery had anything to do with it. Is he correct or did he just fob me off? It's strange that they only appeared after the surgery!

I am suffering with dry eye at the moment. I woke up 3 days ago and everything was blurred in my problematic right eye. My local eye hospital examined me and said it was due to "erosion" and gave me some Viscotears and told me to use it every 2 hours in both eyes. 3 days later and my sight is no better. It's never been this bad. Is it just a case of the cells needing to regenerate and that will take time, or is there likely to be some permanent damage? When they checked my right eye I could only read the top 3 lines of the eye chart but when they put some strange plastic device in front of my eye that had lots of circle holes in it, I could read the line 2nd from the bottom quite clearly.

Scoobydoo999

[JohnHaganMD]

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[Pokemon2003]

I did modeling prior to lasik and now, post lasik, I have large dark bags under my eyes and the top of my eyes are continuously puffy - where it hurts to keep them open.  Like Scoobydoo999, I do have proof that my eye area was clear of bags and puffiness prior to the lasik (via my career).  Aging in the form of large, dark bags and swelling doesn't happen overnight, to the same area, to a mass amount of people, post lasik for no reason.  

The fact is that I totally trust my doctor and feel that he did the surgery perfectly.  It is just the unfortunate truth that surgery such as lasik effects everyone differently.  For me, it caused some of the symptoms discussed in the initial consultation - which INCLUDED swelling, dry eye, pain, etc.    

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

You can't blame everything that happens the rest of your life on lasik because "I didn't have it before I had lasik"  (examples gray hair, weight gain, bifocals, high cholesterol, etc).

The lasik in no way would cause bags under your eyes. The dry eyes maybe, maybe not. If you are a female over 40 then that the hormonal changes you body is experieincing is more likely cause than the surgery. A young male then lasik would be more likely.

You don't cure dry eyes you control it. Use the search feature and read the many extended discussions we've had. Your best best: Restasis drops twice/day forever (remember it takes 3-6 months to work).

Also search the discussions on "recurrent corneal erosions" they are a special form of dry and and require different therapy.

JCH MD