until July 31, 2010

RISKS

  • LASIK is safe enough to perform the procedure on both eyes on the same day for many people, as there is less than 1% risk of any visual loss. LASIK is approximately 95% complication free.
    Some of the complications are:

    • Undercorrection

  • After treating myopia (shortsightedness), if residual myopia remains or regression occurs it can usually be treated.
  • After LASIK for hypermetropia (longsightedness), if hypermetropia remains or regression occurs, it can be more difficult to re-treat. Most patients are pleased however, to have their hypermetropia decreased if not completely normalised.

    • Overcorrection

  • Overcorrection is quite common and desirable in the initial post-operative period. It usually resolves over a short period of time. However if the eye remains overcorrected, it can be retreated (this rarely occurs).

    • Astigmatism

  • Pre-existing astigmatism may not be fully corrected by Excimer Laser and indeed can occasionally be induced. Most cases are suitable for retreatment.

    • Infection

  • The risk of infection is very low. Antibiotic drops are given to minimise this and if an infection does occur, it can usually be treated successfully. A severe infection may produce scarring or spread into the eye, which can cause loss of vision.

    • Fluctuation, glare and halos

  • There may be fluctuation in vision during the stabilising process. In dim light, haziness in vision can be more marked and halos around lights or "starburst" may be noticed. Night vision can be temporarily reduced following the procedure. Rarely fluctuation, glare, halos or decreased night vision can persist.

    • Corneal Scarring

  • The treated corneal surface may fail to clear normally causing hazy vision. The problem usually resolves over a period of months. Rarely corneal scarring can persist causing permanent loss of vision. The problem is much less likely with LASIK than with PRK.

    • Quality of Vision

  • Some patients will experience a loss of sharpness of vision following treatment. However, in most cases, this sharpness returns over a period of 6-12 months. This is more common in patients with high refractive errors.

    • Flap Complications

  • LASIK flap complications such as free flap, thin flap, incomplete flap, buttonhole, wrinkles, interface debris and epithelial ingrowth, can delay healing or cause corneal distortion or scarring with permanent loss of vision.

    • Macular Haemorrhages / Retinal Detachments

  • The production of a flap requires the eye to be subjected to a high pressure for a short period of time. Rarely in predisposed patients macular haemorrhages or retinal detachments may occur with serious visual consequences.

    • Corneal Thinning - Ectasia

  • The excimer laser works by removing corneal tissue to achieve a change focus. Calculations are made to leave a safe amount of corneal tissue. In correcting high myopia, there is a risk of critical corneal thinning which can cause visual distortion requiring contact lenses to focus the eye or very rarely, a corneal transplant.

... read more about the BENEFITS

 

Disclaimer

This website is merely an introduction to Excimer Laser and does not purport to list all the possible complications which may be associated with the procedure.
This should be discussed with your surgeon at the time of consultation.