Laser Eye Surgery Risks

Every surgical procedure comes with its own set of benefits and risks. The eye being one of the most sensitive organs in the body, laser eye surgery has its risks too. In the UK 100,000 people undergo corrective laser eye surgery every year and the numbers are increasing rapidly. It is vitally important that before undergoing the surgery the person understands completely the procedure and the risks that might be involved during and after the surgery.

There are different types of laser eye surgeries. Wavefront Technology, Lasik Laser Eye Surgery, Lasek Laser Eye Surgery, Zyoptix Eye Surgery and PRK Refractive Eye Surgery are the laser surgery procedures available in UK. The success of the surgery mainly depends on the skill of the surgeon and the method of surgery employed.

The laser eye surgery risks may range from infections to the loss of vision. Although studies and researches show that though the receiver might experience some minor conditions, threatening vision complications are extremely rare. Following are the common risks and complications associated with the laser eye surgery.

Dry Eyes:

It is one of the most common conditions that occur after the surgery and women over 40 years of age are more susceptible to it. The symptoms are stinging or burning eyes and excessive tearing.  The condition usually disappears after a couple of weeks, mean while the patient can supplement the moisture with specific medication. In rare cases the symptoms persist and can affect the healing process. The ophthalmologist should be consulted immediately.

Infection:

Infections rarely occur after this surgery and can be treated with antibiotic eye drops.

Loss of Night vision:

This is another risk of laser eye surgery and is reported by over 49% of people who had undergone the surgery. It can be caused by the swelling in the flap or in people whose pupils exceed the ablation zone. Many people have also reported a glare effect while driving at night after the surgery and it is possible due to higher correction been made during the surgery. These symptoms are most likely to disappear after 6 weeks at the most.

Corneal Flap Complications:

These are mostly reported when substandard surgical equipment is used. If the cornea is very flat it can lead to the creation of corneal cap instead of a flap or an opposite condition in which the flap might develop a button-hole while being cut. Any complication is directly related to the skill of a surgeon and it is highly improbable that any of these complications arise in the hands of a skilled surgeon.

Dislodged Flap:

Another uncommon condition, but it can occur if proper post operation care is not taken. Once it occurs another surgery is required to fix the problem.

In growth:

In very rare cases surface cells are reported to grow under the corneal flap known as the epithelial in growth. This is caused by debris trapped under the flap. This condition also requires a surgery for its correction.

Loss of Vision:

It is very rare but has been reported by some patients.  The symptoms are seen in the week following the surgery and gradually go away.

These risks are very very rare and but have been reported over time. At times a poorly performed operation can cause detachment of the retina and sometimes astigmatism is induced.