LASIK Eye Surgery (cont.)
What are the risks of LASIK?
LASIK has been shown to be a very effective
procedure, and most patients are very happy with their vision following the
procedure. However, like any surgical procedure, LASIK does come with some
risks. In order for you to decide whether LASIK surgery is right for you, you
need to be aware of potential risks and complications and weigh these carefully
before proceeding with surgery.
1. You may be over-corrected or under-corrected.
Most patients are satisfied with their vision after a single treatment, but in
some cases, you may not achieve quality vision initially and need a second
surgery, called an enhancement, to sharpen your vision. Patients with more
extreme prescriptions are at higher risk for needing an enhancement. This
enhancement cannot be performed for many months after your initial surgery to
allow for your eyes to heal appropriately from the first surgery and for your
eyeglass prescription to stabilize. In some rare cases, you may not be able to
have an enhancement if your corneas are too thin or abnormally shaped after
surgery.
2. You may still need glasses or contact lenses after surgery to
achieve your best vision. This is extremely rare for the average person;
however, it is something you should discuss with your surgeon. In addition, if
both of your eyes are corrected for good distance vision, you will still need
glasses for close work when presbyopia develops as a part of normal aging
process.
3. Your results may not be permanent. Although uncommon, some patients
do experience a regression of their desired treatment effect many years after
the surgery. This is more common in patients with hyperopia, or farsightedness.
Those who need reading glasses are especially prone to having changes in their
vision after LASIK surgery. If regression does occur, it may be possible for you
to have an additional surgery many years after your initial LASIK.
4. You may
experience visual aberrations, especially in low light. Visual effects that can
occur with LASIK and decrease visual quality include: anisometropia (difference
in refractive power between the two eyes), aniseikonia (difference in image size
between the two eyes), double vision, hazy vision, fluctuating vision during the
day and from day to day, increased sensitivity to light, glare, shadows, and
seeing halos around lights. These visual aberrations are extremely unusual;
however, they may be incapacitating for some time and may not ever go away
completely.
5. Dry eye symptoms may persist or get worse. Most people experience
some dry-eye symptoms immediately after surgery. In some cases, people may
develop worsening of dry-eye symptoms, such as burning and redness, or even
decreased vision, after surgery. This condition is occasionally permanent and
may require medication to improve tear production or punctal plugs, which
temporarily close off the drainage system for tears.
6. You may lose vision.
Rarely, LASIK may result in worse vision that cannot be corrected with glasses
or contact lenses. This could result from flap-related complications, equipment
malfunction, infection, scarring, or extreme changes in corneal shape
postoperatively.
Next: How do I find the right doctor? »
- Questions To Ask Before Surgery - Surgery questions to ask prior to having a procedure are important. Your surgeon should be available to answer your surgery questions prior to the procedure.
- Keratoplasty Eye Surgery (ALK) - Learn about Keratoplasty Eye Surgery (ALK) for nearsighted and farsighted vision problems.
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