What happens if I don't see well after LASIK?
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Jay Bansal, MD
LaserVue Eye Center
1700 California Street
Suite 480
San Francisco, CA 94109
(800) 791-5691
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Southwestern Eye Center
3321 East Bell Road
Suite B12
Phoenix, AZ 85032
(800) 769-0037
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Jay Bansal, MD
LaserVue Eye Center
3540 Mendocino Avenue
Suite 200
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(800) 791-5691
If your vision is not clear after a healing period of 6 months after LASIK, a second LASIK procedure (commonly called an enhancement) will usually be performed to improve your vision further. As many as 10% to 20% of LASIK patients need enhancement procedures. If you feel unsafe driving while you're waiting for an enhancement LASIK to be performed, your eye doctor can prescribe temporary eyeglasses for you.
In a limited number of cases, enhancements may not be possible. Your eye doctor will perform additional measurements of your eyes after your initial LASIK to determine if an enhancement surgery is advisable and can be performed. Your LASIK surgeon will also weigh the potential benefits and risks of a second surgery when determining whether an enhancement is appropriate. Typically, enhancements are recommended and performed only if a patient's unaided visual acuity after their initial LASIK is worse than 20/30.
If an enhancement is not possible, a low-power pair of eyeglasses will usually be prescribed for you to use as needed.
Note: This information is for general education purposes only. It is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice from your eye doctor or refractive surgeon.
Last updated: February 2010
