Sand of the sahara - a lasik complication

LASIK is a procedure which involves creating a small flap in the outer layer of the eye, reshaping the surface underneath with directed laser beams, treating certain vision problems. So, the cornea of the eye is reshaped in order to allow the process of focusing light onto the retina. Some of the conditions which can be treated this way are night blindness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

Nevertheless, those who are over 40 years of age are likely to need reading glasses, even after the surgery is done successfully.

The Sand of the Sahara

Even though there are several possible side effects which can happen during LASIK surgeries, most of them are harmless. However, a side effect which can really threaten one's correct vision, resulting from complications during the procedure, is Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis. This condition reminds one of sand dunes in the Sahara desert. Thus, it is often referred to as the Sand of the Sahara.

More about DLK

Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis takes place when inflammatory cells move underneath and inside the corneal flap. This may or may not affect the patient's vision. When it does, the vision gets significantly reduced and commonly followed by discomfort affecting the person's eye area.

Usually, doctors prescribe strong eye drops to be taken on a hourly basis. Unfortunately, while this is effective in some cases, after several days of the therapy, it fails in others, leading to permanent loss of vision, since the cells remain under the flap.

Patients who have this procedure done by IntraLase lasers have greater chances of suffering from DLK than those who have this done by a lathe. Nevertheless, the latter method can easily give way to this complication, even though this does not happen as frequently as with IntraLase.

Solving the Problem

If you happen to have suffered from this uncomfortable side effect, the best possible choice for you is to have the surgery redone, lifting the flap. Once the flap is lifted away from the corneal bed, the area can be cleaned from the troublesome cells. Saline solution is the most commonly used substance for this cleansing. It is the safest treatment of this problem because, if you opt for the eye drops with steroids, other problems may take place. All in all, additional surgery is the best possible remedy for the damage caused by DLK.

Finally, the best way of treating this problem is avoiding it completely. Therefore, having LASIK procedure done by experienced and skillful professionals is highly recommended.