Environmental factors like heat and humidity might play a role in determining the outcome of your LASIK eye surgery.

Research has shown that LASIK surgeries done in July, August and September, the most humid months, required more future corrective surgeries compared to those performed in other months. A study analyzed the temperature and humidity throughout the two weeks prior to about 200 surgeries. Another component to the study included the humidity level inside the operating room during the surgeries.

Participants of the study included 368 consecutive eyes of 191 myopic patients, who all had LASIK eye surgery in 2000 with the same surgeon. The participants were carefully observed for one year after the study.

Results from the study showed that LASIK surgeries performed during months where humidity was low required fewer enhancement procedures, however there were high incidents of overcorrection. On the other hand, those surgeries done during more humid months were more likely to result in under correction, requiring later enhancement procedures.

Before the LASIK procedure, surgeons set lasers to produce cuts in the cornea’s tissue according to the patient exams and to what extent of correction was required.

Researchers claimed that humidity required further cutting and changes might cause swelling on the cornea to the laser setting.

Based on these findings, researchers recommended surgeons to take environmental factors like humidity into consideration when scheduling procedures.

Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery April 2004;30(4):798-803

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

The hotter and more humid it is when patients get laser surgery to correct poor vision, the more likely they are to need fine-tuning. According to researchers, September was the worst month to get the laser surgery, with 50 percent of eyes needing a follow-up procedure compared to none in drier winter months. The extra moisture in the air may reduce the laser energy absorbed by the cornea. Along with its vulnerability to climate, there are a number of other reasons why I believe that it is wise to hold off on this procedure until the technology is more mature. These include: It has a 10 percent failure rate It is not recommended for people with dry eyes Side effects of LASIK include seeing "starbursts" and "halos" and having trouble driving at night I posted a great article in a past newsletter on the best ways to protect your eyes as you age that is useful for anyone, whether considering this procedure or not. Most people need glasses or contacts for near-sightedness (myopia). I attribute this to an overabundance of grains, sugars and juices as a child. Cultures that do not have these foods have a very low incidence of myopia so the key to prevention is developing a nutritious eating program and eliminating dangerous grains and sugars from your diet. Related Articles: What's Hot Is Not: Laser Eye Surgery Fish or EPA/DHA Supplements May Help Protect Vision Supplements May Prevent Age-Related Vision Loss Vision Loss on the Rise in American Adults Americans Know Little About Leading Cause of Blindness