LASIK Complications, Risks and Side Effects
Nowadays many people in lots of countries choose LASIK eye surgery to improve their vision and thus quality of life. For instance, for more than 10 years LASIK has been performed for millions of patients in the USA. According to the information provided by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), ophthalmologists’ professional membership society, overall complication rate is low, between 0.2 and 2 percent of all patients but still there are risks and side effects that any patient choosing LASIK should be aware of.
LASIK is an eye surgery and like any surgical procedure has its risks. Lasik eye surgery risks are as follows:
- A patient might get infections or inflammation. If asepsis or antisepsis rules have been broken by medical staff and, for example, the instruments used during operation were not sterile.
Usually such complications can be cured with certain medications but rarely may lead to the need for another surgery or to the loss of vision.
- Operation is unsuccessful due to so called “human” factor. LASIK is highly computerized operation that is done using excimer laser but still it’s done by a human not machine. The data that is being entered into the computer is entered by medical personnel. And if it is not entered correctly, the operation will go wrong.
We all have a right to make a mistake in our daily job – I can write a sentence that is not easy enough to understand but it will not do you that much harm as a doctor’s mistake can. We can’t blame them for the mistakes they make though because they are people like you and I and also get tired and inattentive sometimes. We should remember that. I am not trying to protect anybody, all I want to say is that we should always keep in mind that any surgery is a risk.
All LASIK complications can be divided into 3 types:
- complications that arise during the operation;
- in short period after operation (in a few days or weeks);
- later after operation (in several months and even years).
Some side effects need fast and correct diagnosing and urgent medical treatment or even additional eye surgery, some, like light sensitivity, might disappear over time.
Most common LASIK complications and side effects:
1. “Dry eye” syndrome (also known as “sjorgen’s syndrome” or “sicca syndrome”).
This is the most frequent complain heard from the patients. Some say that dry eye syndrome received after LASIK is hard to cure and patients usually get part relief. Treatment is generally symptomatic and supportive.
You are more likely to have dry eye if:
- you have an immune system disorder;
- you are a woman after menopause;
- you are taking hormone replacement therapy, anti-depressants, certain blood pressure-lowering or other medications with dry eye as a side effect.
Make sure to be screened for dry eye before you have LASIK or other refractive surgery done.
2. Keratoconus.
It is an eye degenerative disorder in which changes within cornea structure cause it to thin. Cornea in this case changes to a more conical shape than its normal gradual curve.
3. Night eyesight might change for the worse. Glare and halos may appear.
This side effect of LASIK is sometimes connected with the large pupil size but this statement is disputable.
4. Ectasia/Keratectasia.
LASIK permanently weakens and thins the cornea, it may lead to progressive steepening or bulging (ectasia).
Keratectasia might appear after 1 week, several months or even years after successful LASIK operation. In many cases corneal transplant is needed to correct it.
5. Cornea is not healed completely.
After LASIK cornea is not fully healed. And sometimes it makes further treatment necessary. There is a small chance, that vision will not be as good after the eye surgery as it was before, even with contact lenses or glasses.
The thickness of your cornea should be checked before surgery.
6. Hypo- or hypercorrection.
Sometimes reduction in the correction over time may appear. In this case a patient might still need to wear contact lenses or glasses for all or part of his daily activities. A retreatment
with LASIK or another refractive surgery might be an option to achieve the patient’s desired
results.
7. Small red patches on the white of the eye.
Usually disappear soon after operation.
The following side effects should also be considered by patients choosing LASIK eye surgery:
- If LASIK is done on two eyes at the same time, it might be good financially but there is a risk for the patient to lose vision completely if operation is done badly.
- After LASIK intraocular pressure is hard to measure, that’s why eye hypertension might not be found in time and progress into glaucoma which might lead to blindness.
- Sometimes nearsightedness is cured naturally after 40 years old. If LASIK is done because of this reason, a patient might change one pair of glasses for the other after a certain period of time.
- Psychological troubles if LASIK was done unsuccessfully.
- Sometimes a second eye surgery, called an enhancement or retreatment, may be needed to achieve the desired results. This is more likely to happen with those whose vision originally needed more intensive correction. About 10.5 percent of LASIK patients in the US require a retreatment according to AAO data.
Always remember that LASIK is a surgery. There are millions of satisfied and delighted patients who undergone LASIK eye surgery and now enjoy the benefits of it but still there are some who experience LASIK side effects and have negative impact on their lives. Every case is individual and even though most LASIK complications can be treated without any loss of vision, vision loss may occur in rare cases.
Please, be sure to discuss all possible LASIK dangers, side effects and complications with your doctor.
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