Many people regard myopia surgery as a once-and-for-all measure.

Today let's talk about: after myopia surgery, what exactly is the condition of our eyes.

The currently mainstream laser-based myopia surgeries (such as SMILE and femtosecond LASIK) work by "sculpting" a permanent concave lens on the cornea to change the angle at which light enters the eye, so the focal point is precisely relocated onto the retina.

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However, they do not change the underlying condition of your eyes, particularly the deeper reasons why you became myopic.

This is the crux of the problem. Refractive surgery corrects your previous myopia but cannot guarantee that you will not develop new visual problems in the future.

If your post-operative lifestyle consists of: staying up late every day scrolling on your phone, prolonged uninterrupted computer use, using your eyes in the dark… then your ciliary muscles will still remain in a state of spasm and fatigue.

Although the surgery corrected the cornea, the axial structure of the eyeball may not have changed. Poor visual habits continue to strain and wear on your eyes, which may lead to:

Asthenopia: dry, sore, and heavy-feeling eyes; even if vision is clear, it is uncomfortable.

Recurrent myopia (regression): on top of the original correction, new mild myopia develops again due to excessive eye use. This is not a rebound but a new onset of myopia.

Worsening dry eye: the surgery itself may temporarily affect tear film stability, and combined with poor visual habits, it can exacerbate dry eye problems.

For people with high myopia, the eyeball structure is inherently more fragile; the retina is thinner and the risk of fundus diseases is higher than in normal individuals. Refractive surgery only removes the glasses and does not change the structural and fundamental condition of your eyeball or fundus.

Therefore, regular postoperative fundus examinations are essential and must be adhered to by friends with high myopia.