Have you had a bad experience with LASIK surgery?

Question

I am quite near-sighted and have worn glasses (now contacts) since childhood. I had planned to get LASIK as soon as my Rx became stable. Recently I came across some Web sites made by LASIK "victims" who claim to have had some terrible, permanent side effects (dry eye, double vision). Anyone here had a similar experience, or know someone who has?

Thanks Pedestal42, if you can give me a link to that study (or let me know who conducted and published it), that would be great.

Answer 1

Not as a patient (I'm not a good candidate even if I considered the risks acceptable)

But as a practitioner I've had to do my best for a good number of people whose best possible vision had been made worse by refractive surgery:
visible scarring, irregular astigmatism, dry eyes and tear problems, glare affecting night driving... I've seen them all personally.

Bear in mind that this is a very small percentage: in one study of people who had had it done, 96% were sufficiently positive about the outcome, even if they noticed some degree of side effect, that they would recommend it to a friend.

Links added... I couldn't find the original page where the 96 (or 97)% despite problems caught my eye, but I've been able to turn up similar...
" 29% reported reduced night vision - however, it's important to note that 97% of patients indicated they would [have]decided to have LASIK again."

Answer 2

No I haven't.
But when I decided to get rid of my glasses 6 years ago there was a history of 1 in 10,000 people that had difficulty with Lasik and I was told by many Doctors that RK would reverse itself as I am a scuba diver. RK changes vision with wounds swelling the eyes. Lasik removes parts of the eye. I had Corneal Implants done and they are inserted and can be removed. The implants I have are called In-tacts

Answer 3

The main "normal" side effects are dry eyes and after time some of astigmatism (usually minor if you do not stress yourself, as I believe, besides hereditary reasons and trauma, most eye disorders come from stress.
Things can go bad in any operation and this is Lasik but a surgery nonetheless. Choose the best Doctor you can get.

Answer 4

I had LASIK performed and I am very happy with it. I had work contacts for almost thirty years and it drove me nuts. I still wake up in the morning and have a tendency to put my contacts in, even though I don't need them.

I have dry eye in the morning, but I plop a drop in my eyes and I'm good for the day.

For me, there is no comparison. I will gladly take a little dry eye in the morning, compared to having to wear contacts.

A tip: Don't skimp when finding a doctor. Pay the extra, it will pay for itself.

Answer 5

I don't personally know anybody, but employers are cracking down on some professions. Pilots and surgeons can find themselves out of a job if they get Lasik treatment. Some lab techs have been taken out of that area at my Mom's hospital because they were no longer able to perform their jobs due to repeated blurring. It is definitely not without pitfalls.