LASIK eye surgery, like any other surgical procedure, has complications although advancements and new LASIK techniques have decreased the overall rate of severe complications. However some patients may still suffer some minor complications after surgery.

LASIK Dry Eyes

One of the most common complications of LASIK is dry eyes, due to the of the lacrimal glad (tear glands) to produce sufficient tears. In most cases the corneal nerves responsible for tear production are damaged when the corneal flap is cut during LASIK. The symptoms of dry eyes may be accompanied with a stinging or burning sensation, pain and swelling of the eye and an itchy sensation or as if there were a foreign body in the eye or ’sand in the eyes’. Most patients that have LASIK surgery will suffer with dry eyes for the first six months to a year following surgery but the symptom subsides when the eye heals completely. Eye drops are used to treat dry eyes and apart from lubricating the eye, drop also help stimulate tears.

LASIK Post-Operative Visual Disturbances

Visual disturbances immediately after surgery are common. Glare is a common visual complication occurring immediately after LASIK procedure. A patient will experience both day and night glare for the initial 3 to 4 days following the procedure and the symptoms usually disappear after 6 months. The glare occurs as halos or bursts of bright light. The severity of the glare depends on the pupil size of the patient and a patient with large pupils may suffer the effects of glare permanently. Many patients report night visual disturbances which affects the ability to drive at night. Visual disturbances may become a permanent problem if they do not resolve and they may affect the patients overall quality of life.

LASIK Infection

There is a great risk of infection during the first 48 to 72 hours following LASIK procedure, anti-inflammatory drops are used in the first week after the LASIK procedure to prevent infection.The eye is always at risk of infection because the corneal flap never completely heals.Severe infection in the eye post-operatively can cause scarring that may eventually cause severe visual impairment or blindness but this very rarely occurs. Following a LASIK it is advisable not to participate in contact sports because the corneal flap can easily dislodge.

LASIK Under- & Over-Correction

LASIK sugery in most cases is successful but sometimes there can be ‘under-correction’ or ‘over-correction’ of the cornea. ‘Under-correction’ occurs more often than ‘over-correction although small degrees of ‘under-correction’ do not affect the resulting vision whereas if it is to large degree, it will require a second surgery. In many cases the corneal tissue is incorrectly reshaped due to miscalculations or a misdiagnosis by the surgeon or it may be due to the patient not achieving the expected results of the surgery.

Vision after LASIK

Younger patients should remember that as you get older your eyesight can regress and you maybe required to use glasses or contact lenses again. LASIK surgery does not prevent you from developing cataracts or long sightedness that occurs with old age. While LASIK eye surgery has a very high success rate and the complications are very rare, it is important to be prepared for complications that may arise. Recent reports have indicated that there is an increased incidence of suicide and depression in some patients that experience complications after LASIK surgery.

It is important to note that complications after LASIK is usually considered to be a “bad LASIK” procedure but the complications may have arisen from poor post-operative care rather than an improperly conducted LASIK procedure.