Early Postoperative Complications

Early postoperative complications are incidences of complications where the patient has problems soon after the surgery.

• Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis (DLK) which has been noticed in 2.3% cases is one of the problems of Early Postoperative Complication. This condition is also known as Sands of Sahara Syndrome. It is a condition where the infection lies between the flap and the corneal tissue. With a highly experienced surgeon at the helm f things chances of developing such an infection is slim. The problem is not that complex and when diagnosed at an early stage and treated accordingly, the patient recovers completely with no limitation in vision.
• Infection below the flap of the cornea is also a possible complication. In certain cases it is a genetic problem keratoconus that results in the thinning of the cornea after the surgical procedure. Even though doctors look out for this condition in the preoperative examination it so happens hat at times the problem remains dormant. In such cases the patient would have to use contact lens that is gas permeable, Corneal Collagen Cross linking with Riboflavin, Intrastromal Corneal Ring Segments (INTACS) or maybe even corneal transplant.
• 28% patients of Asian descent have complained of continuous dry Eyes Problems. The incidence of such cases falls drastically in Caucasian people ad only 5% have reported such a problem. Tear production is possible only if there are nerve fibers present in the cornea. After about a year of LASIK surgery the sub basal nerve fiber bundles cut down to less than half. Certain patients also complained of tearing due to reaction.
• Subconjunctival Hemorrhage is also an early postoperative complication. As per a Chinese study around 10.5% patients have been affected by this complication. Although this result cannot be considered binding, as geographical and racial factors play a huge role in any situation.
• Fluctuation of vision is noticed in the early period after surgery. A period of 3-6 months is required for the vision to get stabilized. One may experience many symptoms like glare, difficulty in night driving and halos during this period.
• Another Early Postoperative Complication is noticed in case of infection that occurs due to the treatment procedure. Around 0.4% cases can be classified in this category.
• Itching and burning sensation along with a little pain is experienced by some. The eyes water and patients experience a blurred vision in most cases. It is absolutely imperative that one abstains from rubbing the eyes as this might result in shifting of the corneal flap and further treatment would be required to correct it. Some people would become ultra sensitive when seeing light and would see glares. The positive aspect is that in a large percentage of people, the situation soon improves.

Any symptom should be reported immediately to the doctor especially those that seem to be worsening or unusual if not corrected soon a vision loss is also possible.