Undercorrection (residual myopia)
Undercorrection occurs when an eye remains somewhat nearsighted after refractive surgery. It is seldom considered a serious complication. Distance vision is better (if not perfect), and near vision is still good. Undercorrection is much more common in people with severe nearsightedness than in people who had nearsightedness of less than 3 diopters.
Slight undercorrection may be considered an advantage. A little mild nearsightedness will delay the onset of presbyopia, and it may offset the effect of progressive farsightedness (hyperopia). Also, the amount of undercorrection may decrease after several years because of a phenomenon called the hyperopic shift. Hyperopic shift is the gradual increase in farsightedness that may occur for some years after radial keratotomy (RK) surgery.
Could My Medications Cause Vision Problems?
Most of us know that medicine can sometimes cause side effects such as dry mouth. But did you know that medications can also cause vision problems such as dry eyes or sensitivity to light? Some drugs can even lead to serious eye problems or vision loss. "It's very important for people to be aware of what conditions they have, what medications they're taking, and how they may increase risk of certain eye problems," says Scott Greenstein, MD, FACS, instructor in ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School...
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Undercorrection may be successfully corrected with a repeat surgery. But repeat operations tend to be less effective and less predictable than the original surgery.
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