The Facts about Lasik Problems
Lasik surgery is one of the safest eye operations a person can have. It's an FDA approved surgical procedure that's performed in many countries around the world.
But as with any operation, undesirable complications may arise from the surgery causing unwanted problems for the patient. No decision on surgery should be taken lightly as there is a small chance that complications may arise and in some Lasik surgery cases your eyesight abilities could be significantly decreased.
Even though the Lasik operation takes minutes to do and you can be home soon after, it is still a very serious matter. Take great care in choosing your Lasik doctor or clinic and be as well informed as you can be.
Common Lasik Problems
It's been cited in USA Today and other sources that complications from Lasik Surgery may be as high as 5% reporting post-op problems.
Here are some of the more common problems people can experience after Lasik eye surgery
- Dry eye syndrome. This is just as it sounds. You may need medically prescribed drops to manage the condition. At present there is no test that can confirm with absolute certainty that you'll suffer from dry eye syndrome after Lasik eye surgery. It is however much more likely to occur in people who cannot wear contacts because of a pre-existing likelihood of severe dry eye.
- Appearance of visual artifacts or distortion from light sources. After Lasik surgery some people may see halos that outline light sources, or star bursts type shapes emitting from light sources.
- Obvious visual degradation. Some people emerge from the laser surgery with worse eyesight; suffering from such conditions as increased blurriness, double vision or similar ghosting type visual problems.
This list of possible problems as a result of Lasik surgery could even be increased past this short list of problems. Some people have reported an increased sensitivity in their eyes so that even the slightest of breezes causes pain.
The point is while Lasik laser eye surgery is a very safe and effective process, there are no guarantees. Problems do occur, it is not a no-risk proposition.
The Risk Involved with Lasik
Part of the problems associated with Lasik are just the "normal" statistical risk associated with any kind of surgical operation. Another part of the problem is that the Lasik procedure is quite costly while taking up a relatively small (15 minutes after consultations) amount of a doctor's time.
That has led to a saturation, in some markets, of inexperienced and greedy clinics operating more like a Lasik money making mill than an operational hospital. In the rush to pass as many patients through in a day as possible, sometime corners get cut which can lead to unnecessary problems later on.
The problem is not as pronounced as it was a few years ago but one should still take great care in choosing a Lasik doctor. Read as much as you can and be informed when you get a pre-surgery Lasik consultation with a doctor.
Chances are your Lasik surgery will be entirely successful without any problems or complications but the decision to have Lasik surgery should not be taking lightly.
Do your research, ask questions, find a good clinic and you'll increase your chances of avoiding any post-op eyesight problems.
