LASIK Risks?

Most patients are  pleased with the results of their refractive surgery. However there are risks involved.  It  is important  to understand the limitations and possible complications of LASIK.

You should carefully weigh the risks and benefits based on your own personal value system, and try to avoid being influenced by friends that have had the procedure or doctors encouraging you to do so.

• Patients can lose vision. Some patients lose lines of vision on the vision chart that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery as a result of treatment.
• Some patients develop debilitating visual symptoms. Some patients develop glare and halos, and/or double vision that can prevent driving at night. Some patients may see 20/20 without glasses yet still have difficulties driving at  night or in foggy weather.
• Under corrections and over corrections can ocurr. Not all patients achieve 20/20 vision without glasses or contacts. You may require additional surgery, but additional treatment may not be feasible if yout cornea is too thin. You may still need glasses or contact lenses after surgery. This may be true even if you only required a very low prescription before LASIK. You will need reading glasses at some point.
• Patients may develop severe dry eye syndrome (D.E.S.) . After surgery you may not produce adequate  tears to keep the eye moist and comfortable. Dry eye  causes discomfort and can reduce your abiltity to see.This could be a permanent symptom. Mutiple daily  drop therapy, use of punctal plugs or other procedures may be required.
• Results are generally not as good if you have a very high prescription It is vital to discuss expectations with your doctor and understand  you may still require glasses or contacts after the surgery, immediatley or in the future.
• Farsighted patients (Hyperopia) may experience diminshing results with age. This is common if you have latent or hidden amounts of farsightedness.
• Long-term effects are not completely known.. LASIK is a relatively new. The first laser was approved for LASIK eye surgery in 1998. The long-term safety and effectiveness of LASIK surgery is not known, especially in elderly eyes that have compromised tissues from normal aging.

• Complications in Both Eyes With Simultaneous Treatment

Most patients choose to have LASIK surgery on both eyes at the same time. The convenience of having surgery on both eyes on the same day is appealing but carries a higher risk than having two separate surgeries.  If both eyes are treated at the same time your doctor does not have the opportunity  to see how the first eye responds to surgery before the second eye undergoes treatment.