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| LASIK Details | |
Risks and other concideratrions |
No surgical procedure is completely free of risk. It is not possible to list every complication that can occur, and there may be adverse reactions, which are unknown at this time. Since glasses or contact are currently available and, in general, safely correct myopia and/or astigmatism, you need to consider thoroughly if the risks of having the LASIK procedure outweigh possible benefits.
Under-or over-correction
If the desired correction is not achieved, glasses may still be necessary for good vision. In some cases, significant under-corrections can be retreated.
Regression
In some patients, the effect of surgery is gradually lost over several months. Such regression is more common in patients who are very nearsighted (>-6.00 diopters). In some, but not all cases, significant regression can be retreated.
Halo and glare effect
Halo is an optical effect that is noticed in dim light. As the pupil enlarges, a second faded image is produced by the untreated peripheral cornea. Some patients who have undergone LASIK notice this effect while driving at night and this can interfere with night driving. Halo occurs less frequent with the larger treatment zones being used today.
Decentration
Significant decentration of the zone of treatment (the laser beam not centered on the pupil) can occur when the patient does not fixate correctly during surgery. Halo and blurry vision can result.
Inconvenience between surgeries
If surgery is performed on each eye at a separate session, in the time between surgery on the first and second eye, the two eyes may not work well together because of their temporary differences in refraction (spectacle correction). If a contact lens is not tolerated on the unoperated eye, work and driving may be awkward or impossible until the second eye has had LASIK.
Presbyopia and reading glasses
Even if the operation is successful in correcting your myopia, you may require reading glasses sooner than you would otherwise. As a person grows older, the lens of the eye is less able to focus, and near vision becomes more difficult. This normal aging process is called presbyopia, a condition that can be alleviated with reading glasses or bifocal lenses. An advantage of being myopic or nearsighted is that it generally takes longer to be affected by presbyopia. Therefore, if you do not have the operation and remain myopic, you may not need reading glasses until age 50 or older. If you have the operation, you may need reading glasses in your early forties, as do most individuals with normal eyesight.
Loss of best corrected acuity
In some patients there is a very small chance that the best possible corrected vision is lost, i.e. the patient may not get back to their best visual acuity, even with glasses
Raised eye pressure
Transient elevation of intraocular pressure occurred on 2% of patients who were on topical steroids following LASIK surgery with return to normal pressures and no ill effects following discontinuation of steroids. You may not be aware of intraocular pressure, however, this is a routine part of the follow-up care provided by eye care professionals.
Flap abnormalities
These include wrinkles, dislocation or loss of the flap. This occurs rarely in patients.
Remote risks
As with any eye surgery, there is a remote possibility of severe infection, corneal perforation, drug reaction, or other rare complications, which could cause chronic pain, an unsightly eye, or partial or complete loss of vision.
If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about the
Advanced CustomVue procedure,
please call us at 888-844-2020.