Why does my vision fluctuate during the day after surgery?
Because the tear film fluctuates, and the surface of the eye is the first lens light passes through. Vision that is sharper after blinking or after drops and softer when the eye is dry is a tear-film pattern rather than a problem with the treatment.
- Subject
- Surgery journey
- Topic
- Recovery & aftercare
- Kind of question
- Why…
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
This is the reason a single measurement of vision in the early weeks is not a verdict. Clinics look at the trend across visits, which is also why they ask you to attend the follow-up visits on the days they specify rather than whenever it suits.
What this answer depends on
- How dry your eye was before surgery
- How consistently you use the lubricant drops
- How much screen time you are doing
Related guides
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under The surgery journey in Recovery & aftercare . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
Subjects this question touches
The pages that answer the subject behind the question, rather than the question itself.
- Procedure LASIK
- Procedure Femto LASIK
- Comparison LASIK vs SMILE
- Comparison LASIK vs PRK
- Place LASIK in Dubai
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)
The equivalent clinical reference chapter for LASIK, used so that comparisons describe both procedures symmetrically.
Used for How LASIK creates and manages a corneal flap; LASIK complication categories.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Dry Eyes After SMILE
A review of ocular surface changes after SMILE, including how dry-eye signs and symptoms are measured and how they change over the first postoperative months.
Used for Explaining why dry eye is a key preoperative consideration.
Link checked 22 September 2026