LASIK Surgery Side Effects

LASIK and other refractive surgeries such as PRK and LASEK are irreversible surgical treatment procedures and in some cases, can cause a number of side effects. Medical literature argues that the availability of treatment options for these side effects are limited and so LASER surgeries may lead to serious visual anomalies in patients in the post-operative periods. They are prone to certain risks such as reduction in vision, corneal damages, disturbances in visual outcomes (clouding, double vision, glare), and even sometimes a permanent loss of vision.

Some common LASIK eye surgery side effects are:

·    Minor over correction or under correction of refractive error. Since all patients' eyes differ in the rate and manner of healing, the computer predicted result might not achieve the expected correction leaving some patient's over or under corrected. Some patients may be offered a second procedure (enhancement) but others may need spectacles or contact lenses for some tasks. Enhancement rates vary between 5% and 15%.

·    In some cases, the incidence of Presbyopia in patients is also reported. This usually occurs when people reach their early to mid 40's. However, short-sighted people often do not require glasses for reading when they reach this age because removing their distance glasses allows reading unaided. A young myopic patient treated for distance vision will effectively become "normal sighted" for reading, but when a treated patient reaches 40-45 years of age, reading glasses may be required for near work.

·    Difference in refractive error between the two eyes (Anisometropia) may occur if only one eye is treated and patients may need to continue using glasses or contact lenses to balance the two eyes.

·    Contact lens wear if needed, may be more difficult following Laser Treatment due to the changed shape of the cornea.

·    Ptosis (drooping of the upper lid) may occur in the first few weeks following surface laser treatment but rarely persists.

·    The eye after surface LASIK treatment can be slightly more sensitive to touch. Minor symptoms are relatively common in the first few months but severe symptoms are rare. These problems are usually self-limiting and persist in less than 1% of patients.

·    Decreased night or low light vision is characterized by symptoms such as glare, halos and starbursts seen around objects at night or in dim light conditions. Although visual acuity as measured on an eye chart may not be affected, for some patients these symptoms can interfere with daily activities and in particular with driving at night. Reduced night vision is often temporary lasting four to six weeks. A few patients however, continue to experience these symptoms on a long-term basis. Research has shown that the incidence of these symptoms is caused by increased light scatter and induced irregularities (higher order aberrations) in the eye. Such problems are more common in those with particularly large pupils.

·    People with Myopia (short-sightedness) have a greater risk of retinal detachment after laser surgery.