The Negatives of Lasik Surgery

Lasik eye surgery, although well-tolerated by a vast majority of the people who receive it, is not without side effects or complications. Some of the side effects are merely annoying, but some are potentially very serious. The key to reducing the chance of getting these side effects is to choose your surgeon carefully and then listen when he tells you that you are not a good candidate.

The most common adverse effect of Lasik surgery is poor night vision. This includes double vision at night, seeing halos around light sources and seeing starbursts around light sources. Even people with perfect or near-perfect vision during the day can experience these effects at night. Another common adverse effect is failure of the corneal flap to heal. This often occurs in people with corneas that were too thin to tolerate the procedure well.

The second most common side effect of Lasik surgery is known as "dry eye." This condition is characterized by a grainy or sandy feeling that does not go away after two or three months. Use of artificial tears or a surgical blocking of the tear ducts can relive this symptom. Sometimes, a condition described as "hazy vision" develops. This can interfere with the clarity of your vision and can be treated with steroid drops. However, in most cases this can be prevented by wearing sun-blocking lenses while your eyes are healing. It is felt that this effect is caused by exposure of the lens to UV radiation.