NY LASIK Surgeon on Dry Eyes

NY LASIK Surgeon Satish Modi, M.D. commented on LASIK and dry eyes. “By far the most common side effect of LASIK is dry eyes. In fact, it is pretty much expected and pretty normal for all LASIK patients to have some degree of temporary dry eye symptoms after their treatment. The critical thing to know is that the dry eye symptoms should be temporary,” relayed Dr. Modi.

Here is what you should know about LASIK and dry eyes. LASIK is corneal surgery. ANY time we do corneal surgery we typically sever some corneal nerves and we often temporarily disturb the delicate cells on the surface of the eye. By the way, during cataract surgery and any other eye surgery procedures that involve the cornea we do the exact same things. These corneal nerves connect to the Lacrimal Gland which is responsible for producing tears. When the nerves are temporarily interrupted there is a decrease in the amount of tears that are produced-making your eyes feel dry and gritty. To make you more comfortable during the time it takes for the corneal nerves to heal and regenerate we may do one of more of the following for you:

Prescribe Artificial Tear Eye Drops

Insert Tiny Tear Duct Plugs

Prescribe Restasis® Eye Drops

Prescribe Dietary Supplements with Omega-3 Oils

Each of the above acts to either retain the tears that you have, supplement the tears that are lacking or help you produce more of your own tears so that you will be most comfortable and heal properly. Each person will regenerate the fine corneal nerves at a DIFFERENT RATE and thus will need to use one or more of the above tear helpers for different amounts of time. A very important consideration is how healthy your tear film was BEFORE your surgery. A critical part of your LASIK consultation will be a careful examination of your tear film. Sometimes, in order to make you the most comfortable and make the healing and visual recovery process as quick and easy as possible for you, we may actually prescribe one or more of the above BEFORE your surgery.


If you or someone you know has a question about LASIK and dry eyes you can schedule an appointment by calling Seeta Eye Centers at 845-454-1025, visiting Seeta Eye Centers or facebook.com/seetaeyecenters.

Seeta Eye Centers is conveniently located for patients from Westchester County, Rockland County and throughout the Hudson Valley, Dutchess County and Orange County including Poughkeepsie, Fishkill, Middletown, Kingston, New Paltz, Newburgh, Beacon, Bedford, Catskill, Cornwall, Eastchester, Ellenville, Florida, Goshen, Harriman, Harrison, Highland, Highland Falls, Kerhonkson, Mahopac, Monroe, Montgomery, Mount Kisco, New Rochelle, New City, Scarsdale, Saugerties, Spring Valley, Tarrytown, West Point, White Plains, Woodstock, Yorktown Heights and Yonkers, NY.