Does myopia surgery have a “shelf life”?

Will I become myopic again after the surgery?

Will myopia be cured after the surgery?

Isn't it necessary to have surgery if it's not permanently effective?

Will there be any sequelae?

Does myopia correction surgery have a “shelf life”?

1 How to understand the “shelf life” of myopia correction surgery?

The purpose of myopia surgery is to correct the patient's myopia and reduce dependence on glasses after surgery. In principle , myopia surgery is mainly divided into two types. One is laser myopia surgery , which makes a concave lens on the cornea on the surface of the eyeball to change the refractive power; the other is lens implantation surgery , which implants a permanently usable lens into the eye to change the refractive power. Both surgeries are based on the patient's current myopia degree for correction, rather than permanently curing myopia. The conditions for myopia surgery must first be that the patient is at least 18 years old, and the myopia degree has been relatively stable in the past two years. Choose the appropriate surgery according to your own conditions, and follow the doctor's advice to use eye drops after surgery , develop good eye habits , and have regular check-ups , so that the vision can be "fresh"; for most people, the possibility of myopia recurrence or regression after surgery is small.

2 Why does vision "regress" after surgery?

Myopia surgery is based on the correction of the existing myopia degree, which is like "tailoring clothes" according to each person's unique "body shape", but it cannot guarantee the "body shape changes" in the future.

In other words, surgery cannot shorten the axial length of the eye that has already grown due to myopia . So why do some people experience a "rebound" in vision after surgery and become myopic again?

01In the short term

Generally, the "regression" that occurs within 3-6 months after surgery is related to corneal wound healing and repair, which may be related to postoperative corneal epithelial remodeling and dry eye symptoms leading to visual fluctuations. This situation can be controlled by the standardized use of postoperative eye drops.

02In the long run

First, consider unscientific eye habits, which may lead to myopia again. For example, after careful care in the first few months, some people start to face the computer for a long time, play with mobile phones frequently, and other bad eye habits, which may cause the eye axis to continue to grow, thus causing myopia again. Secondly, we must also be alert to corneal protrusion or expansion after refractive surgery, which is another disease that requires timely medical treatment.

Therefore, to put it simply, the "regression" of vision several years after surgery is most likely due to the re-development of myopia.

3Can myopia surgery be performed a second time ?

Currently, myopia correction surgery can be performed twice. If the degree is stable and after a period of observation, and after excluding "regression" caused by other factors such as corneal and fundus problems, after strict, precise and comprehensive examination and review, and confirmation that the conditions for another surgery are met, another myopia correction surgery can be performed.

4How to avoid regression after surgery ?

01 Check on time. Check on time after surgery is very important. The changes in the eye axis caused by myopia will not be cured by surgery, so the check is especially important for people with high myopia and other people who are prone to regression.

02 Follow the doctor's instructions. After surgery, you must follow the doctor's instructions to take the medicine on time and according to the dosage to ensure that the postoperative tissue repair is within a reasonable range.

03 Develop good eye habits. Pay attention to your eye habits at ordinary times, especially within one month after surgery, try to look far more and look less near, control the time of close-range eye use, control the length of time of using electronic products, and prevent the degree of myopia from continuing to develop due to improper use of the eyes. Director Liu Hongting of the Refractive Department of Aier Eye Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University reminds us, how long is the "shelf life" of myopia surgery? If there must be an answer, the doctor's answer is that he hopes this warranty is "permanent", but this "permanence" requires the joint efforts of doctors and patients. Long-term excessive close-range reading work and excessive burden on the eyes are the main reasons for myopia again. Therefore, in order to achieve "permanent preservation" after myopia surgery, it is even more necessary to love and protect the eyes. Keeping eyes healthy is the key to truly benefiting a lifetime.