After a ReLEx SMILE surgery, is it possible to develop farsightedness (hyperopia)?

Doctor's Answers 2

With any refractive surgery, whether SMILE, LASIK, PRK or ICL surgery, there is a chance of over-correction or under-correction.

So if a person was myopic before surgery, an 'overcorrection' would cause hyperopia, and vice versa.

Usually, the degree of under or over-correction is minimal and is around 25 to 50 degrees or less (+/-0.25D to 0.50D). This means that vision is still very clear without glasses and is achieved in better than 95-97% of patients in general after a single treatment.

It is also important to realise that there is a 'margin of error' in measuring spectacle power, which is usually taken to be +/-0.25D or 25 degrees. Therefore, 25 degrees appearing on one examination may not be there on subsequent examinations.

Another important factor to consider is that spectacle power can fluctuate in the early period after any surgery. It is usually only stable after at least a month, and this period of time could potentially be longer for PRK.

A small amount of hyperopia eg +0.25D to +0.50D is not expected to cause any visual blurring in young people less than about 35 years old or so. In fact, there are also older people with this spectacle power who do not wear glasses for distance viewing.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh
Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

Hyperopia may develop after any form of refractive surgery (including ReLEx SMILE) due to an over-correction of myopia.

Presbyopia will also develop in ALL patients between the ages of 40-45 years, irrespective of whether they have had refractive surgery or not.

Similar Questions

Is ReLEx® SMILE® the best option for dry eyes? Or can I still do LASIK?

Suitability for Lasik / Refractive Surgery is a common concern of patients with dry eyes. It is well established that post-Lasik, patients experience longer periods of reduced cornea sensitivity and symptomatic dry eyes. This is thought to be related to the cornea nerves being severed at the nasal and temporal limbus during creation of the flap. However dry eyes per se doesn’t automatically disqualify you from having Lasik performed. This is because most patients with symptomatic dry eyes can be optimised before surgery so that they may get better results after surgery.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

Is it possible to have overcorrected vision after ReLEx® SMILE®?

Your description that your vision is ”100%” at certain times does suggest that you have managed to obtain a successful outcome from your ReLEx SMILE surgery. The fact that your vision seems to fluctuate would suggest other possible causes of transient blurring of vision which may include blepharitis, dry eyes or fatigue.

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