Is Laser treatment has many risk?

Question

Hi

I'm having short sight. I eyes power are 3.5 and 3. Now I want to do laser treatment to remove my spex. Is there any risk involed in this treatment.

Answer 1

There's absolutely risks involved. The FDA hearing is proof of the suffering lasik complications patients have endured- their complaints about the unspoken and life-changing risks unheard for far too long.

One of the worst effects, in my opinion, is dry eye. As someone who lives with severe chronic dry eye... I know the h**l. It's such a small risk.. but it is the RISK that you might spend the rest of your life in relentless pain, that you'll be so drawn up in the pain, the countless treatments that provide 2 minute relief, the expenses (300$ on a lucky month)... eye drops, cold compress, warm compress, eye wash... goggles... tints for the photophobia... pain that doesn't go away but you try every drug anyways... and the worst thing is, despite the treatments and the efforts in maintaining a half-decently protected eye.. you develop corneal erosions, and when those happen, the pain can only be considered worse than childbirth. That is the 'small' and 'insignificant' risk you take with lasik. You take the risk of spending forever knowing that you -did this to yourself.-

Anyways, I was unable to attend the hearing, but I did receive a summary of the speakers. I will offer you a few.

"DAVID SHELL

Patient with complications.

David was another of the early (1998) complications patients. A former engineer, he described how after 50 years of healthy eyes he underwent LASIK and is now handicapped by constant eye pain and strain, and experiences distorted vision even with specialty gas permeable lenses.

David provided some images on posters to show how someone with, technically, good acuity can still have horrible vision. The posters showed a snellen eye chart with ghosting; pictures of starbursts on lights; and multiple moons.

In 2002 David testified to the FDA about LASIK dry eye, describing the constant burning and stinging and how his eyes never feel comfortable. He has been to experts around the country seeking treatment.

David called on the FDA to do three things:

1) Reclassify night vision disturbances (starbursts, haloes, glare and the like) and dry eye syndrome as a complication.

2) Conduct a truly independent study

3) Re-examine the safety and effectiveness of LASIK."

"REBECCA PETRIS

President, LaserMyEye Inc. (501(c)(3) nonprofit) and founder/owner, The Dry Eye Company

I had previously sent in a letter to the FDA for the hearing’s written records. I had also missed the deadline to request a speaking slot, and felt that with the crowds who wanted to speak, it was extremely unlikely I’d be called on. I did not prepare a speech, and even if I had, after witnessing the morning’s proceedings, I don’t think I could have brought myself to read it.

Instead, I winged it. It was a bit of a blur afterwards, but I’ll share some bits and scraps that I remember.

I told the panel briefly about my change of career as a result of my LASIK, how I founded LaserMyEye and later The Dry Eye Company. I told them how grateful I was for the opportunity to speak and how I had missed the deadline to request a speaking slot because of being preoccupied with my work with people with dry eye. I told them I had flown out from Seattle on the last redeye flight Thursday night to attend the hearing because I had not been able to tear myself away from the phone.

I described a two-hour conversation that Thursday morning with a young man in Arkansas who was near suicidal as a result of his struggles after undergoing LASIK just 3 months ago, and I talked of how many of these conversations I have regularly with people 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, or many years after their surgery. I talked about unremitting pain from dry eye and what it does to people.

I told them that as regards depression, I agreed with the presenter who insisted that depression does not come from a single event. I said that for patients it’s not a single event (surgery) – it’s what came before (poor screening, poor informed consent) and what came after – complications, poor care, lack of validation, inadequate treatment, and pain, pain and more pain.

I said that there were many doctors in the room and I wished they could be flies on the walls of my office on a typical day to hear the calls from patients looking for help. I said that we had heard a lot from LASIK surgeons that day about improvements to technology and about how exciting all the capabilities of LASIK are. I said that what we had not heard was any compassion for those who experienced problems. I said that if there were any compassion to be had, the doctors and professional organizations should be rallying around the consumer groups offering practical help and support for complications patients."

Think long and hard about those voices... don't become one. Cutting into healthy tissue for no medically necessary purpose  is insane, period.

Answer 2

Yes. But they are relatively small when compared to other procedures. All surgeries have risks, and pointing a powerful laser into your eye obviously could end badly. Make sure you use a reputable doctor, who describes the risks to you in great detail before you make your decision.

The FDA is doing investigations into long term side effects of LASIK surgery right now, and if I were you, I would wait to see what the government study finds. Because the surgery is so new, no one knows for sure what happens 20 or 50 years down the road.

Answer 3

According to my optometrist, it's a 50:50 chance.

Some will end up being very grateful their vision is fixed while there's the other half who will live with chronic after-effects such as watery eyes and light sensitivity.

It's impossible to determine if you'll be successful or not and not everyone is suited to this type of surgery.

Answer 4

A while back I looked into this. I found a site on the web (I don't know if it's there anymore) where they had duplicated the vision problems that some people experience. It was scary.

Unfortunately, most doctor and industry websites minimize the probability and extent of side effects. Then when patients complain that they can't see well enough to drive, the doctors say they had unrealistic expectations.