Lasik surgery and the "halo" effect when driving at night - would glasses help?

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

I had Lasix surgery about 3 1/2 years ago and had to sign a waiver that I’d experience the “halo” effect when driving at night. It’s rather pronounced, as in you certainly want to avoid my car if I have to drive at night! I’m literally blinded by the light.

Here’s my question: would buying some over-the-counter glasses from the grocery store sharpen my vision at night, or do I need to go spend the big bucks for an eye exam and prescription glasses?

I need advice ASAP - Daylight Savings Time goes away tomorrow night!! Thanks, all…

#2

No, glasses will not help you. Neither the cheap-o’s you pick up in stores nor presecription glasses will improve this at all.

Contact lenses will not help you.

The only thing that will help with the halos is greater ambient light - which is noticeably absent at night.

DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert, so by all means consult an eye doctor about this. Maybe there is something out there that’s been recently developed to help people in your situation. However, this “side effect” has plagued LASIK and related surgeries from day one.

#3

I had LASIK maybe 4 years ago, I think? Anyway, my halos went away after a few months. My night vision has recently gotten a little sketchy, resulting in a “scatter” effect which glasses fixed nicely, but that’s completely different from that LASIK halo. No, there’s nothing you can do about that as far as I’m aware, but it does go away or get better for most people. It had been gone for at least a month before I realized, hey, wow, no halos.

The surgery is still worth it, if you ask me.

#4

I had RK done about 5 years ago, no halos. Barometric pressure changes do have an effect…

#5

Actually, improved technology and technique have all but eliminated this problem. Night vision is related to the size of the pupil. Nowadays, as part of the pre-surgery exam, the doctor will measure your pupil. The larger your pupil, the larger area of the eye needs to be operated on to eliminate the night vision halo.

#6

So, would I need to have another surgery? (The first one was a breeze and the best thing I’ve ever done for myself!) I did have to sign the disclaimer related to my big pupils - I’d pay top dollar to get rid of the halo effect. It’s literally like trying to see through someone’s LSD experience. The lights disable my ability to perceive the distance between vehicles, read signs, etc.

I really appreciate everyone’s posts - and if you’re travelling east on 190 in Dallas, you want to stay as far away from my car as possible! :smiley:

#7

I have no idea whether another surgery would be possible or not, or whether or not it would help. I’d ask an eye doctor about your problem, if I were you.

#8

I’ll do so; thank you! And a Happy end of Daylight Savings to us all! :cool:

#9

Broomstick is wrong, I’m sorry to say. I would encourage anyone having this surgery to make linearly polarized eyewear a part of post-operative life. I refer to this Lasik Surgery Site.

The haloing is a significant problem for many who have had this, my wife included. Using normal polarized glasses may or may not help. Most polarized lenses are spherically polarized, and won’t cut out a lot of the halo. Finding linearly polarized glasses will alter the halo as a car approaches, from a bigger and bigger glare, to a minimized glare as a car approaches. It is simply the nature of that kind of a lens.

Huge difference. The glare reduces JUST in the last 5-10 seconds before the oncoming vehicle passes, when normally it would be worse.

Cartooniverse

#10

About 18 months ago, I had cataract surgery on my right eye - I was very young to have developed a cataract but such is fate.

Anyways, I had a permanent lens replacement fitted behind the iris, and I too, experienced the classic “halo” pattern effect - which also made driving at night a problem.

However, after a while, I noticed through various experimentation that if I closed my left eye and went “cross eyed” with just my right eye open that the halo effect died away.

It seems that that the halo effect is dependant upon “pupil dilation”, and the greater one’s pupil is dilated, the greater the “halo effect”.

So I started experimenting with “contrast reduction” glasses. I used to be a very successful road racing cyclist, which obviously included doing lots of miles at night during training - and I remembered that certain glasses would diminish “contrast and glare” by allowing only certain light frequencies through. A classic example of what I’m talking about are like the yellow “Raybans” that you see sporting shooters use in Olympic competition.

I’ve found that wearing such glasses contracts my pupils just a little bit - maybe 15% or so - but gee it helps like you wouldn’t believe.

#11

If the whole point of LASIK is to change things so you don’t have to wear glasses or contacts anymore, can’t say I’m terribly impressed with the results.