LASIK Complications

With the advent of technology, various eye surgery options have been developed to offer effective results and, at the same time, reduce complications in patients. A new alternative that involves application of laser is the LASIK eye surgery. Although considered as a reliable procedure for vision correction, LASIK complications and risks do exist. Before directly jumping to the complications of LASIK eye surgery, let's take a look at the basic information about this surgical procedure.

Procedure for LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK is the abbreviated form for Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. According to statistical data, it leads the list of popularly conducted eye surgery for refractive problems. This laser eye surgery takes about 10 minutes and involves three basic steps - creation of a flap in the cornea, correcting the stroma and replacing the flap. Thus, during the surgery, a circular flap is made in the cornea by using a microkeratome. The flap is folded back and an excimer laser is used to reshape middle part of cornea, called the stroma. After eye correction, the flap is placed back in its position.

An Overview of LASIK Side Effects

Lasik eye surgery is performed with the main objective of correcting eye problems, so that patients will no longer depend on lenses and glasses. The plus points of LASIK are reduced pain, good results and quick recovery. But, what about the preoperative and postoperative complications? It is imperative for every prospective candidate to gather information on LASIK eye surgery before actually undergoing this procedure. Following is a brief information regarding LASIK complications.

Dry Eye
While cutting the flap, chances are high that the instrument injures the corneal nerves and blood vessels, leading to ramifications. Dry eyes symptoms are experienced by the patient, if the nerves associated with tear secretion are injured. In fact, dry eyes after LASIK eye surgery is a common complaint made by patients who have been through this surgical procedure.

Poor Vision
Another complication of LASIK eye surgery is reduced quality of vision in dark and/or nighttime. The main reason for this is loss of sensitivity towards contrasting lights. In dim light, patients have a difficult time in viewing things around them. While some patients report visual distortion and halos, others experience difficulty in driving at night.

Flap Healing
The flap made during the LASIK procedure does not heal completely. It may also happen that the flap is misaligned, or slipped, from the remaining part of the cornea, which again poses further risks. In order to promote flap healing, every LASIK patient should follow the care instructions directed by the concerned surgeon.

Weak Cornea
Cutting a flap in the cornea and reshaping the stroma weaken the cornea. The collagen bands responsible for maintaining shape and strength are disturbed, thus resulting in a weakened cornea. In some patients, gradual thinning of cornea is observed after surgery, which requires additional medical treatment.

Infections
As with any surgery, infection is another risk factor of LASIK eye surgery. Nevertheless, the rate of infection is very low, occurring in about 0.4 percent of patients. In rare cases, the tissues underneath the flap get infected. In case of infection signs, immediate medical attention is necessary to avoid future complications of the cornea.

Other Complications
A common complication related to early post-operative complications is subconjunctival hemorrhage. Reported by more than 10 percent candidates, it refers to hemorrhage below the conjunctiva. In such cases, some portion of the white part of the eyes turns red in color due to accumulated blood.

LASIK Statistics

The LASIK complication data states that more than 20 percent candidates manifest dry eyes and about 19 percent people complain of reduced vision quality at night. In the 1990's survey, about 5 percent of the candidates reported some kind of postoperative problem. However, comparative studies conducted in recent times have shown reduced percentage of complications in today's date. The chance for severe eye complication is below 1 percent, provided that the procedure is performed by an experienced surgeon, under full hospital settings.

As you have seen, incision and creation of flap in the cornea are the major risks factors for this laser eye surgery. Fortunately, most cases of LASIK complications can be treated with further therapeutic intervention. For reducing any type of laser eye surgery risks, getting the procedure done by an experienced surgeon is the ultimate step for every patient.