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LASIK eye surgery - Risks

Alternative Names

Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis; Laser vision correction

Risks:

  • Over- or under-treatment of the condition may occur, requiring additional surgery, contact lens, or glasses.
  • Reading glasses may still be needed after surgery.
  • Some patients, although they may see much better than before LASIK without glasses, will still need glasses for their best vision.
  • Problems with night driving or visual symptoms, such as glare and haloes.
  • Problems with a decrease in contrast sensitivity, and even with 20/20 vision, objects may appear fuzzy or gray.
  • Corneal infection.
  • Corneal scarring, permanent warping of the cornea and an inability to wear contact lenses.
  • A loss of vision -- not seeing as well after surgery, even with glasses or contacts as before the surgery.
  • Permanent vision loss.
  • Flap complications.
  • Light sensitivity.
  • Dryness.
  • Scratchiness.
  • Patches of red or pink in the white of the eye.
  • Decreased distance vision at high altitudes.
  • Reviewed last on: 8/17/2007
  • Manju Subramanian, MD, Assistant Professor in Ophthalmology, Vitreoretinal Disease and Surgery, Boston University Eye Associates, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

References

Yanoff M, Duker JS, Augsburger JJ, et al. eds. Ophthalmology. 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2004:188-195.

Duffey RJ, Leaming D. US trends in refractive surgery: 2003 ISRS/AAO survey. J Refract Surg. 2005 Jan-Feb;21(1):87-91.

Cobp-Soriano R, Calvo MA, Beltran J, Llovet FL, Baviera J. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2005 Jul;31(7):1357-65.IG.Thin flap laser in situ keratomileusis: analysis of contrast sensitivity, visual, and refractive outcomes.

Balazsi G, Mullie M, Lasswell L, Lee PA, Duh YJ. Laser in situ keratomileusis with a scanning excimer laser for the correction of low to moderate myopia with and without astigmatism. J Cataract Refract Surg 2001 Dec;27(12):1942-51.

Miller AE, McCulley JP, Bowman RW, Cavanaugh HD, Wang XH. Patient satisfaction after LASIK for myopia. CLAO J 2001 Apr;27(2):84-8.

McGhee CN, Craig JP, Sachdev N, Weed KH, Brown AD. Functional, psychological and satisfaction outcomes of laser in situ keratomileusis for high myopia. J Cataract Refract Surg 2000 Apr;26(4):497-509.