Well, it seems that we’ve got ourselves a reason not to get LASIK surgery in the summer, or in hot countries for that matter. 

A recent Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center study revealed that LASIK surgery results are hampered by warm temperatures and high humidity, especially within the treatment room. In fact, just a 10 percent increase in treatment room humidity resulted in an additional nine out of every 100 LASIK patients later needing a second LASIK operation (an enhancement procedure).

And it seems that:

…indoor humidity had the most impact on whether a person required an enhancement procedure. The findings appear in the current issue of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

To solve this problem, Dr. Keith Walter says that patients "…should make sure that their physicians compensate for temperature and humidity." So, what this means is that patients should push their LASIK surgeons to ensure that treatment rooms are well air-conditioned to compensate for high external humidity and temperatures.

But given that outdoor temperatures and humidity in the weeks prior to a patient’s LASIK surgery can also affect results negatively, I suggest that prospective patients ensure that they stay in well air-conditioned areas during summer time (or other similarly humid periods).  

[News via PakTribune]