Thanks for your question! Although there are no long-term side-effects to using lubricating eye drops indefinitely, it can certainly be a chore to carry around and apply the drops!
You can be reassured that most patients taper off their lubricants quite rapidly after performing their refractive laser surgery procedure.
Ensure that if you are using your lubricants frequently, that you are applying a preservative-free eye drop. As using any form of medication can be difficult if performed many times a day, do consider speaking to your attending Ophthalmologist about adjunctive eyedrops that may be useful to reduce your dependence on simple lubricants. This may be in the form of other eyedrops including advanced lubricants, secretagogues, or anti-inflammatory eyedrops like Cyclosporin. Adjunctive measures including punctal plugs also provide relief for many of my patients.
ESG
