Objective To observe the effects of lutein on asthenopia after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).Methods It was a prospocttve case control study.A total of 70 patients who had undergone LASIK were divided into treatment and control groups romdomly.The treatment group was treated with lutein in addition to conventional postoperative medication.Visual acuity,refractive error (RE),amplitude of accommodation,accommodative lag,accommodative facility,positive and negative relative accommodation,contrast sensitivity (CS) and asthenopia scores were measured at I week,I month and 3 months after LASIK surgery.Data were analyzed using chi-~square test and independent sample t test.Results The asthenopia score for the treatment group was lower than the score for the control group at 1 week,1 month and 3 months after LASIK surgery.The difference was significant (t=2.77,2.17,9.09,P＜0.05).There were significant differences in amplitude of accommodation and accommodative lag between the two groups at 3 months after LASIK surgery (t=2.35,2.57,P＜0.05).The differences in positive and negative relative accommodation and accommodative facility were not significant.The CS with or without glare was higher in the treatment group than in the control group at spatial frequencies of 1.7,2.6,6.6 c/d at I month after surgery.The differences were significant (with glare,t=3.68,2.84,2.45; without glare,t=2.15,2.60,3.09,P＜0.05).At 3 months after IASIK.Ihere were significant differences between the two groups in CS (with glare) at spatial frequencies of 1.0,2.6,4.2,10.4 c/d (t=3.47,5.64,4.56,4.10,P＜0.05).Compared to the control group,the CS without glare for the treatment group was higher at every spatial frequency at 3 months after LASIK.The differences were significant (t=2.16,2.31,3.51,5.56,5.00,4.62,P＜0.05).Conclusion Lutein can relieve Ihe symptoms and signs of asthenopia safely and effectively after LASIK.Aud it also can improve the CS of patients.