I am about 3.5 months post lasik and my
left eye, which had considerable astigmatism before my surgery, has double vision which my
surgeon attributes a central island. My
question is twofold:
1) Is fluctuating vision a symptom of a
central island condition? On rare occasions
usually after being outside in bright sunlight, my left eye seems to focus
normally without the double vision. This only
lasts for a brief time before the double vision returns, but I'm wondering if this is an indication that my eye is still healing.

2) Are there any statistics on the success rate
of enhancement procedures to correct the
central island condition? Although I realize
there are no guarantees, my biggest concern
is ending up worse off than I am now.

Thank You

Fluctuating vision is one symptom of a central island. Ghosting, shadowing and slight undercorrection is usually seen. A central island (CI) is a slight area of undertreated cornea, usually in the middle of the ablation area. It is most likely the result of fluid being pushed into the central cornea by the shock wave of the laser. Most islands resolve in 3-6 months but not all. If the sysmptoms persist, retreatment to smooth the CI is probably the best course of action. The success rate is quite high and the chances of being made worse are small.

I wish you luck.

Sincerely,

Neal A. Sher, MD,FACS

Suite 750 Medical Arts Building
825 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 USA

Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology
University of Minnesota Medical School
Attending Surgeon, Phillips Eye Institute
Minneapolis, Minnesota

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