Before lasik my left eye was -9 and my right was -11 with a low degree of astigmatism. My left has been corrected to 20/30, but my right eye is 20/200 one week after surgery. it was 20/400 right after surgery. My optomistrist (I am being co-managed) said that in the right eye the near sightedness has been corrected, but a greater degree of astigmatism has been created. How can this happen? How much is it possible for vision in that eye to improve before I have an enhancement? By the way my distance vision seems to be quite good and I am not unhappy I had lasik. I'm still better off than I was before!!!

Dear Molly,
Your original Rx is moderately high so it is not
rare to have some change in the first few weeks
after surgery. Where was your surgery done?
Sometimes a temporary astigmatism may show up.
Was any astigmatism treated during your procedure?
How old are you? I'm glad you appreciate the
improvement and suspect things will get better.
After a few months if the Rx is off significantly
you may benefit from enhancment. Be patient and
keep us posted.
Leonard Friedman MD Washington D

Thanks Dr. Friedman for your reply!
I am 50 years old.
I had a slight degree of astigmatism before lasik but I don't remember the perscription.
Interestingly enough my near vision is coming back in the left eye. I have been using cheap reading glasses to help me function close up until my optomitrist writes me a perscription. He is reluctant to do so right now because my vision is still changing and I can still see well enough to drive. It doesn't seem like the vision in my right eye is changing much, but I will be patient.
Right now I can use the computer without my reading glasses. How much can the vision in my right eye which is 20/200 because of the astigmatism be expected to improve? It's been two weeks since surgery on that eye.

Wait a few more weeks and let us know what your Rx
is. It is too early for me to guess how much you
will improve however things usually do get better.
Leonard Friedman MD Washington DC ..
;

Molly,
It is much too early to predict. You may continue
to improve for several weeks. Keep us posted.
Leonard Friedman MD Washington DC''

;;

I finally have a perscription. It is:

OD +125 -300 08
OS -025 -075 12

My co-managing Dr. is going to find out when I can have an enhancement on the right eye. The glasses really make a difference in driving and reading although I am using my computer without glasses and I can go about my daily activities without glasses. (for the first time in my life)

I am happy I had lasik. I did not expect everything to go exactly right. I am hoping an enhancement will take care of the astigmatism, because I can notice the difference between the vision in my eyes. But even if nothing changed this is an incredible improvement over my vision pre-lasik.

What about lasik caused the astigmatism?