Hi, I am 19 yrs old and I just had the lasik procedure about 3 days ago and I think the laser was a Nidek 3rd gen with large optical zone of 7mm and a transitional zone to 9mm. With 8mm pupils and a prescription of -3.75 -3.50 what are my chances of the halos diminishing as the eyes heal? Thanks for your time

patients with large pupils are at higher risk of persistant halos after LASIK, regardless of the type of laser. The risk can be reduced by expanding the optical zone. As well, patients with lower corrections have a lower risk.
There is no percent chance one can quote. I can just say that I hope things improve with time, as they often do.

Best of luck

Bill Trattler, MD
Miami, FL

Those numbers sound suspect to me since the Nidek only recently received pre-market approval from the FDA for a 6.5 mm optical zone with a transition zone to 7.5 mm.

See:
http://www.nidek.com/optzone2.html

I would bring this up with your doctor.

I just had a 3 day post-op checkup and the Doctor said the halos should go once the swelling goes down and the eye heals. As for the laser used you can view it at:

http://www.gimbeleyecentre.com/refracti/technology.htm

I don't think you could have received that size of a treatment in the U.S. with the Nidek laser given that it has not yet been approved by the FDA. I take it that you obtained your LASIK procedure in Canada.

I had a 6 to 9 mm treatment on 7.5 mm pupils. Your 7 to 9 mm treatment on 8.0 mm pupils will probably yield similar results. In my case, the halos did decrease as my eyes healed but they didn't go away. They are still there but I don't consider them a major problem. They are probably the only downside to my LASIK results. Everything else is great. I am still thrilled with the overall results.

Yes, I had the procedure done at the Gimbel Eye Centre in Calgary Canada. At this point if you watch tv do you see halos around forinstance a white text on a black background? And at what period of time would you be allowed to rub your eyes?

Generally, I don't see halos when watching TV although I think I do remember seeing them under certain specific conditions (dark room, TV on other side of room). The halos I see predominantly occur at night. Headlights, streetlights, taillights and even the moon typically exhibit them.

You can expect some improvement with time. I was a little skeptical when the doctors told me this. It sounded somewhat like salesman talk. But it was true. They do improve.

Resist that urge to rub your eyes at all costs -- especially at this point in time. You don't want to disturb those flaps in any way.

I can usually rub just outside the eye area of my face to get an itch to go away. Be very careful.

I've never seen or heard any doctor say when you actually CAN rub your eyes again. I have seen one website that says "never." I'm not sure that they even like you to rub eyes that have not undergone LASIK.

It's funny that after spending a few thousand on LASIK, I treat my eyes like they are worth $10 million. I don't want to disturb this great vision. It's almost scary how I didn't use so much caution before. I've heard other LASIK patients say the same thing.