Laser Eye Surgery - What are the Potential Side Effects?

by David Silva

With the ever-growing popularity of laser eye surgery and the continual advancements in the procedures and technology, the primary concern of many people considering the surgery is this: what are the potential side effects?

The good news is that both PRK (photorefractive keratectomy laser eye surgery designed to correct mild myopia and astigmatism) and Lasik procedures involve few risks. In fact, serious vision-threatening complications are minimal. However, as with any form of surgery, there can be potential side effects. Here are the most common side effects that can result from laser eye surgery:

Infection And Delayed Healing

Approximately one-tenth of one percent of all patients suffer from a corneal infection after undergoing PRK. Slightly fewer face an infection after Lasik. A cornea infection will not result in any long-term effects, however there generally is some additional discomfort and the healing process is slower.

Under Correction/Overcorrection

Even though tremendous advances have been made in laser eye surgery, a surgeon cannot predict precisely how your eyes will respond to the procedure. In some cases, you might need to continue to wear corrective lenses after surgery. If the results are particularly unsatisfactory, you do have the option to undergo a second surgical procedure to improve your vision.

Decrease In Best-Corrected Vision

After laser eye surgery, a few patients find that their best-corrected vision with contact lenses is actually worse than it was before the surgery. This is a rare occurrence, but can occur if there's been irregular tissue removal or if a corneal haze has developed.

Excessive Corneal Haze

Corneal haze is not unusual. In fact, it's part of the normal recovery process after refractive surgery. Generally, it won't affect your final vision, and will only be evident to an ophthalmologist using a microscope. However, in some cases, excessive corneal haze does interfere with your final vision. In such a case, it can often be corrected with a second surgery. Also worth noting, the risk of encountering excessive corneal haze is much lower with Lasik eye surgery than with PRK.

Regression

Regression is exactly as it sounds: for some patients, after a period of several they find their vision returning to its pre-surgery state. In other words, they find the surgery to be ineffective. A second surgical procedure is usually possible in such cases.

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