As you recover from your Lasik surgery, you may experience a temporary disturbance of your night vision in the form of halos. Seeing bright rings around street and headlights can make going out at night a bit of a nuisance, however, it typically doesn’t last long. Plus, with advances in laser technology and proper pre- and post-op care, you can reduce the severity of halos during your healing process. Then you’ll be able to enjoy every day, glasses free!
So, What Are Halos Exactly?
Halos are one of the most common side effects of recovering from Lasik surgery. Simply put, they are bright rings that appear around lights at night. Other night vision disturbances include increased glare and starbursts. All of these issues are usually temporary and resolve naturally within a few weeks after surgery.
What Causes Halos?
Halos were much more prevalent and severe when laser eye surgery was in its infancy. Older lasers were not capable of treating the cornea in an area larger than the pupil. At night, when the pupil becomes larger, the edge of the treated corneal area would cause halos and excessive glare.
Improving Your Night Vision
At BoydVision, our advanced excimer laser uses additional information from pre-operative testing to provide you with a completely custom Lasik surgery. Custom Lasik allows us to treat a larger area of the cornea versus standard operations so that as your pupil naturally grows and shrinks throughout the day, you’ll be able to see clearly. Our custom treatment reduces the possibility of night vision problems and will allow you to see clearly no matter what time it is!
Depending on your prescription and other factors, you might still experience some night vision issues during the recovery process. To help you recover properly, it’s important to follow the pre- and post-op care directions provided by our staff. Make sure to wear a good pair of sunglasses when you go outside, take your eye drops, and don’t rub your eyes (we’ll provide some plastic shields to help you with this one).
Our Recommended Treatment Options
If we feel you are not a suitable candidate for Lasik (and a different procedure would be more suitable), or if we feel that laser eye surgery just isn’t a proper fit, we will let you know. The only way to really find out is to book a free consultation with us. We’ll make sure to fully understand your unique needs so we can provide an honest recommendation.
What If Halos Persist After My Lasik Surgery?
Sometimes in the event of an over- or under-correction, halos and other night vision issues can persist for months. If you find you’re not getting any better during the recovery period, we will provide you with another corrective procedure to get it right! While these cases are extremely rare, they can happen, and we’ll do what we can do to make sure you are happy.
During your free consultation, you’ll also have the opportunity to speak with our surgeon, Dr. Boyd, who will answer any of your questions, provide recommendations, and discuss potential risks like halos.
To learn more about Lasik surgery, or if you’re ready to take the next steps toward clear vision, give us a call at 604.430.9560.