lasik eye surgery risk
Is there a Lasik Eye Surgery Risk?
Mike Jerry
Mike Jerry
With any kind of surgery, especially dealing with your vision, there will be all sorts of risks. Your eyes may not produce enough tears to keep it moist enough. This is called dry eye syndrome. You may need additional treatment to fix such a problem. Your surgeon may prescribe some drops that you will have to put in yourself when needed. The worst kind of risk is that the surgery didn't go as planned and you may lose vision. This type of risk can not be fixed with glasses, contacts or any other type of surgery. Direct any questions you have to your surgeon.
Like any other medical procedure, there are lasik eye surgery risks and complications so you should be prepared. Before doing a refractive surgery, you should carefully weigh the benefits and the risks, so it is important for you to know the limitations of the procedure.
Lose Vision
The worst of the lasik eye surgery risks that could happen as a result of treatment is to lose lines of vision that cannot be corrected with contact lenses, glasses, or surgery.
Debilitating Visual Symptoms
Some patients develop halos, double, and/or glare vision that can affect nighttime vision. After the treatment even if you had acceptable vision on the vision chart it is possible, in situations of low contrast, to not see as well as before the treatment.
Additional Treatment
The percent of patients that achieve 20/20 vision without contacts and glasses is relatively low, so you may require additional treatment. After surgery you may still need contact lenses or glasses even if before you required a very weak prescription.
Dry Eye Syndrome
After the surgery your eye may not produce enough tears to moisturize itself and besides discomfort it can reduce the visual quality because of intermittent blurring and other symptoms. This condition may not be permanent and you may be required to use procedures such as plugs and intensive drop therapy.
Large Refractive Error
If you have a very large refractive error the results of a lasik eye surgery may be not so good and you should discuss with this with your doctor because you may still require contacts or glasses.
Farsighted Patients
The level of improved vision after surgery may decrease with age if you are a farsighted, but the possibility for this to occur is high if your manifest refraction and your cycloplegic refraction are very different.
New Technology
This type of procedure is based on a relatively new technology. The first LASIK was approved for an eye surgery in 1998, and therefore the long-term effectiveness and safety is not known. But dont worry! Even if lasik eye surgery risks exist in the late 1990s just 5% of people experience some type of problem and now the complication rates are held below 1% and often they can be resolved.
So if you are thinking refractive surgery make sure you compare lasik eye surgery risks and benefits, consult more than one doctor or eye center because this decision will affect you for the rest of your life.
Lose Vision
The worst of the lasik eye surgery risks that could happen as a result of treatment is to lose lines of vision that cannot be corrected with contact lenses, glasses, or surgery.
Debilitating Visual Symptoms
Some patients develop halos, double, and/or glare vision that can affect nighttime vision. After the treatment even if you had acceptable vision on the vision chart it is possible, in situations of low contrast, to not see as well as before the treatment.
Additional Treatment
The percent of patients that achieve 20/20 vision without contacts and glasses is relatively low, so you may require additional treatment. After surgery you may still need contact lenses or glasses even if before you required a very weak prescription.
Dry Eye Syndrome
After the surgery your eye may not produce enough tears to moisturize itself and besides discomfort it can reduce the visual quality because of intermittent blurring and other symptoms. This condition may not be permanent and you may be required to use procedures such as plugs and intensive drop therapy.
Large Refractive Error
If you have a very large refractive error the results of a lasik eye surgery may be not so good and you should discuss with this with your doctor because you may still require contacts or glasses.
Farsighted Patients
The level of improved vision after surgery may decrease with age if you are a farsighted, but the possibility for this to occur is high if your manifest refraction and your cycloplegic refraction are very different.
New Technology
This type of procedure is based on a relatively new technology. The first LASIK was approved for an eye surgery in 1998, and therefore the long-term effectiveness and safety is not known. But dont worry! Even if lasik eye surgery risks exist in the late 1990s just 5% of people experience some type of problem and now the complication rates are held below 1% and often they can be resolved.
So if you are thinking refractive surgery make sure you compare lasik eye surgery risks and benefits, consult more than one doctor or eye center because this decision will affect you for the rest of your life.
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