My son is very nearsighted (legally blind), and was tested to see if he would be a good candidate for LASIK surgery. The doctor said he just made being accepted. I then read an article saying people with severe nearsightedness who have this surgery have a problem with their eyes being very sensitive to light, which causes them to have more problems than before the surgery. Is this true?

Florence

LASIK is a laser surgery that can correct myopia (nearsightedness), astigmatism and hyperopia (farsightedness). In this procedure, doctors cut a flap in the cornea. Then, the flap is lifted and a laser is used to reshape the cornea. After the reshaping, the flap is put back in place and allowed to heal. Most patients notice that their vision dramatically improves over the next 24 hours.

Many experts recommend that routine LASIK surgery be performed only on people age 18 or older, and only when a person's vision has been stable for more than 12 months. The greatest degree of myopia for which most eye doctors will perform LASIK is about 14 diopters of myopia. Studies have clearly shown that the results with LASIK are better for people with lower-level myopia. Still, the results for higher levels of myopia are still quite good. Overall, 50-70 percent of myopic patients who undergo LASIK will attain 20/20 vision or better.

There are risks with LASIK including infection, inflammation and loss of vision. The changes of these complications occurring are low, but you should consider them before undergoing the procedure. Also, some people experience increased difficulty with night vision after LASIK surgery. They describe the problem as the appearance of halos or starbursts around street lights or headlights. There are numerous causes of post-LASIK, night-vision problems. The most common is residual myopia or astigmatism, seen most often in patients with more severe myopia before surgery. In such cases, wearing glasses or contacts at night may eliminate the problem.

Another common problem after LASIK is dry eyes. In most cases, the dryness of the eyes after LASIK is temporary and can be treated with lubricating eyedrops. However, some people have reported problems with dry eyes even years after LASIK.

One complaint that I have not heard linked to LASIK is increased sensitivity to light (photophobia). Common causes of photophobia include a scratch on the cornea, uveitis and/or corneal infection.