6 surprising risks with laser eye surgery
For most, corrective laser eye surgery brings great results, correcting nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and more. But for some rarer cases, eye surgery can have painful and sometimes disastrous consequences. Here are some of the laser eye risks you should be aware of when considering undergoing the corrective surgery.
Infection – One of the worst outcomes post laser-surgery, infection can occur in one in every 5000 cases. In the rarest cases, patients can develop a corneal ulcer as a result. To avoid infection, it is recommended that patients avoid swimming and hot tubs in the first few weeks post-surgery.
Glare/haziness – For some shortsighted patients, they will experience more glare than they had before the surgery, though this generally goes away after a few months. For some, however it is occasionally permanent.
For most patients post-surgery, they will experience hazy vision which is caused by the healing of their eye and which usually dissipates in the weeks to come. In some cases, further surgery may be necessary to fix hazy vision complications.
Under/over-correction – Because everyone’s eyes are unique, some patients can leave surgery with their vision over- or under-corrected. Significant under-correction can call for a re-surgery, while over-correction can be treated with eye drops, further surgery, and temporary contact lenses.
Regression – Some patients experience regression, or the return to some extent of their pre-surgery shortsightedness, but a slight regression is normal as the eye heals.
Dry eyes – Post-surgery, many patients experience the discomfort of dry eyes, though it generally improves as time passes. For some, the damage may be permanent, and the prolonged use of artificial tears may be necessary. For those who already suffer from dry eyes, laser surgery is not recommended.