LASIK Eye Surgery Risks - Small But Real

Anyone facing surgery for any reason is concerned about the risks; those facing LASIK eye surgery are no different. The idea of having any sort of procedure done on their eyes is enough to make most people nervous; the prospect of living in a world grown forever dark is not one anybody likes to face.

And the extreme sensitivity of our eyes makes us cringe at the thought of the pain which might accompany eye surgery. So an examination of the LASIK eye surgery risks might be helpful for those considering it. You may, however, be worrying needlessly about LASIK eye surgery risks if you haven’t determined whether you are qualified for the surgery. There are many reasons why you might not be.

Determining Whether You Qualify For LASIK Eye Surgery

If you’re below the age of eighteen, your eyes are still changing and you’re not a candidate for LASIK surgery; and if you’re over sixty, you may not be a candidate if your corneas are weakened. Your ophthalmologist will be able to determine if they are.

If you have an underlying disease, like diabetes, which can cause your vision to deteriorate, you may not be a candidate for LASIK surgery, although there may be alternative surgical procedures which can help you. If you have a specific eye condition, you may still qualify for the surgery once the condition has been treated and cured.

Finding The Right Doctor

Once you’ve determined that there is no reason why LASIK eye surgery is inappropriate in you case, you can start to concern yourself with LASIK eye surgery risks. The best way to reduce Your LASIK eye surgery risks is to do your homework when choosing an eye surgeon.

Find a list of surgeons in your area and set up preliminary appointments with some of them. Don’t be afraid to question them on their credentials, and call the nearest local medical watchdog association to find out if they are the subjects of disciplinary action.

When you’ve which eye surgeon gives you the best feelings of confidence, make an appointment for your pre-surgical eye exam. If you still feel comfortable with him or her following the exam, then you will very likely be happy throughout the surgical process.

As with all surgical procedures, the LASIK eye surgery risks diminish proportionately to the degree with which technological skills and information is shared community of optical surgeons. From the late 1990s, when the occurrence of complications from LASIK eye surgeries was about 5%, advances in technology and education in surgical techniques have reduced the rate of complications to 1%.

LASIK Eye Surgery Risks

But LASIK eye surgery risks, even at a 1% rate, do exist. While the LASIK surgical procedure itself is both fast and painless, it can lead to unforeseen complications.

While many people seek LASIK eye surgery to correct their irregular astigmatism, one of the more common LASIK eye surgery risks is that, if the procedure is not positioned properly, it can actually cause irregular astigmatism. People suffering from irregular astigmatism may experience either double vision or “ghost” vision. But, because both symptoms often occur temporarily after even successful LASIK procedures, it may take some time to determine the surgery resulted in an unwanted irregular astigmatism.

Other LASIL eye surgery risks include the development of corneal flaps, lamellar keratitis, oversized pupils, and decentered ablations. These post-operative conditions will surface as double vision, halos and starbursts, or decrease night vision, but many of them improve over time or with the use of eye drops. One of the rarest LASIK eye surgery risks is that a patient will develop dry eye, and require further surgery to alleviate it.