I am 4 days post op and my left eye (20/40) is not as clear as my right (20/25). My doctor today said he sees striae in my left eye that it may flatten on its own. He is seeing me next week to see if there is an improvement. He mentioned lifting the flap and flattening it if there is no improvement. Is this safe to do? What is the maximum number of days post op one can wait to have this done without complications?
Is it better to wait or have this procedure done ASAP?

Flap striae or wrinkles can cause mild to moderate visual distortion, along with generalized blurriness. The decision as to when a flap should be lifted and the wrinkles removed is very individual, as some people can have small striae and have perfect 20/20 vision without distortion. Time is a factor when deciding when to lift a flap to remove striae. The earlier this is done, the easier it is to remove striae. However, striae can often be removed successfully weeks to months after they are noted.

I hope this helps answer your question

Bill Trattler, MD
Miami, FL

>Flap striae or wrinkles can cause mild
>to moderate visual distortion, along with
>generalized blurriness. The decision as
>to when a flap should be
>lifted and the wrinkles removed is
>very individual, as some people can
>have small striae and have perfect
>20/20 vision without distortion. Time
>is a factor when deciding when
>to lift a flap to remove
>striae. The earlier this is
>done, the easier it is to
>remove striae. However, striae can
>often be removed successfully weeks to
>months after they are noted.

>I hope this helps answer your question
>

>Bill Trattler, MDMiami, FL

Dr. Trattler,
Thank you for your help. I was ready to have my flap lifted yesterday (8 days post op) but my surgeon thought he would ask another doctor (with more experience) if he thought the flap should be lifted before he did the procedure. The other doctor thought that it should not be lifted because it wasn't bad enough to affect my vision(still 20/40. He thought that we should wait, maybe I am just undercorrected. So I went home after 30 seconds of corneal compression that I think did nothing. This morning my surgeon called and said he still feels that the wrinkles whould be removed. We are both on vacation for a week so he wants to seem me next week (2.5 weeks post op). I'm a little concerned. Do I go with my doctor's opinion to lift the flap or go with what his colleague says, to wait a month? Why did he ask for his opinion if he still wants to lift it? Wouldn't a doctor with more experience know what's best? My doctor is the one who did the procedure and has checked my eyes 4 times since the surgery. He mentioned putting a stitch in the eye to held down the flap, have you heard of this or is he experimenting on me? Please give me some advice. Thanks again for responding.
Diane

I had bilateral lasik surgery in 1996 with complications to both eyes. I went from severe myopia and atigmatism to hyperopia (1.25 OS and 3.00 OD without glasses. Complication included corneal edema, corneal displacement with flap striae to right eye, and epitheal cell build up which was surgically removed. I am now able to fuction well - I have 20/20 vision with glasses, and can evern function without glasses, (except for reading which bifocals are required)

My question is since hyperoptic vision is now correctable, I am comsidering a lasik adjustment, however, the wrikles on my right cornea still causes slight vision distortion. Will floating the flap still be considered as a corrective procedure after 4 yrs post op?