LASIK: Popular Vision-Correction Surgery Linked to Blindness, Other Complications

LASIK, the form of laser vision correction surgery that more than 17 million people worldwide have had, can result in blindness, reduced vision, dry eyes, and other serious complications. Questions about the safety of the popular eye surgery are so serious that the Food and Drug Administration is formally investigating to determine the number of complaints from LASIK patients.

The FDA also has required LASIK surgeons to include more information about the risks and possible side effects in advertising for the procedures. The agency said at the end of its investigation (expected in 2012), officials may decide to impose more restrictions or warnings on LASIK surgeries to better protect consumers from risks of injury.

In LASIK surgery, a computer-guided laser is used to cut a flap in the cornea, the clear outer cover on the eye. A surgeon then uses a laser to sculpt and smooth the surface of the cornea to improve the patient’s vision.

Forms of LASIK Surgery

There are several types of laser vision correction surgery, depending on the type of laser and surgical techniques used. The most common types of the surgery include:

• LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis)

• PRK (PhotoRefractive Keratectomy)

• LASEK (Laser Assisted Sub-Epithelial Keratomileusis)

• Epi-LASEK

FDA, Others Investigating LASIK Injuries

In October 2009, the FDA, Department of Defense, and National Eye Institute launched an extensive, two-year-long investigation into patient reports of LASIK injuries. According to the agencies, too many LASIK providers were not keeping proper records for adverse events associated with the surgeries. That means patients who suffered vision loss, decreased vision, dry eyes, or other complications after their procedures were either ignored, not recorded, or otherwise mishandled. For this reason, the actual number of LASIK-related injuries remains a mystery.

Common LASIK Injuries

The most common complication associated with LASIK surgery is dry eyes. A 2006 study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology found that more than 35 percent of LASIK patients complained of dry eyes for six months after their procedure. The FDA has warned that dry eyes may in fact be permanent for some LASIK patients.

Patients who have undergone LASIK surgery may experience one or more of the following injuries following their procedure:

• Overcorrection or under-correction of vision

• Sensitivity to light

• Double vision

• Foggy or cloudy vision

• Floaters or halos in the field of vision

• Subconjunctival hemorrhage (bleeding beneath the cornea)

• Blindness

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