LASIK eye surgery was first performed over 23 years ago. 36 million cases later, and no one has ever lost their eye from having the procedure. This fact speaks volumes about the risk profile for LASIK, as it is proven that having laser eye surgery is actually safer than using contact lenses, and with regard to possible infection, LASIK represents a tiny one-time risk, in contrast to the constant risk of infection with contacts.
LASIK’s safety has been comprehensively evaluated by governmental institutions such as NASA, the Australian armed forces and the Military. The result of their research is that laser vision correction performed with a femtosecond Laser to create the flap (Blade free LASIK eye surgery) is now allowed for NASA Astronauts, the Special Air Service (SAS) and Top Gun pilots.
Professional sportspeople also have used laser eye surgery to ensure their best performance on the field. This includes sportspeople such as Tiger Woods and David Beckham, whose laser eye surgery procedures undoubtedly allows them to perform at their peak.
Laser eye surgery still carries with it some potential for complications, however. These risks can all be managed effectively, which I will discuss in this article.
Enhancement:
LASIK eye surgery is conducted on living tissue. Despite the fact that it is highly accurate, there is on average a 3 or 4 % chance the vision correction will be decent but not utterly spot-on. If this is the situation, I wait 3 months to ensure the residual glasses prescription is stable and then lift the same corneal flap created to fine tune the end result. As enhancements are minor modifications they are correspondingly more accurate. One of the beauties of LASIK is that even though it is usually very stable in the long term, should a patient undergo an adjustment in their refraction this enhancement can be performed at almost any time in the future.
Risk of infection:
The infection rate for laser vision correction is a very low figure, and infections resulting from such procedures are far rarer than infections from the use of contact lenses. Corneal scarring resultant from these eye infections is even rarer, probably less than 1:20000. Even this able to be managed by performing a corneal transplant - however I have never had to perform a corneal transplant for this reason.
Corneal flap issues:
Recent advances in blade-free femtosecond laser eye surgery technology have basically eliminated the risk of abnormal (such as buttonhole) flaps being created. As such, I will only ever perform using this latest LASIK technology.
Any extra inflammation that may sometimes occur under the flap is treatable by increasing the frequency of anti-inflammatory eye drops. On rare occasions, cells can grow into the flap interface. Usually these cells will disappear, however they can be removed by lifting the flap if they become a problem.
Dry Eye:
As the flap is made, the corneal nerves are cut, causing a short-term dry eye sensation. The nerves will all come back over the course of about 3 months, during which time it is wise to renew the tear layer of the eye with lubricating eye drops then all usually goes back to normal.
Ectasia:
Very rarely, laser eye surgery carries with it a risk of ectasia, which is when the cornea swells forward over some time as a result of becoming too pliable. In extreme cases it is correctible through transplanting the cornea, however through increased accuracy and effectiveness in pre-operative patient screening, candidates unsuitable for laser surgery are generally identified before the procedure is undertaken. On the rare occasion that this does occur, collagen cross-linking (a relatively new technique) can be performed to stop it progressing further, allowing the patient to maintain their vision without having to transplant the cornea. I am one of a small handful of ophthalmologists in Australia who has experience in such a procedure, however I have never needed to perform it on my own patients.
Haloing and Glare:
The dehydration and stabilisation of the corneal flap can sometimes cause patients to experience a heightened amount of glare or haloing around lights, particularly at night. It is very rare to see this phenomenon last more than about a week.
Quality of Vision:
Patients will almost always experience the same or better than their vision with glasses or contact lenses, after having the procedure. The very small percentage of people who experience less crisp quality of vision following the procedure are generally corrected with laser enhancement, as discussed earlier.
As other refractive surgeries come and go, laser vision correction’s verified track record of safety and accuracy make it the treatment of choice for realizing true independence from spectacles or contact lenses. The advancement of Blade Free Femtosecond Laser LASIK has taken this safety and effectiveness to new degrees and truly delivers the cutting edge in eye surgery. laser eye surgery has proven its results over a 23 year outstanding safety and consistency track record. This is only really going to develop too, as new advances such as blade-free laser vision correction ensure increased safety and accuracy, rendering it the clear choice in vision correction.
Dr. James Genge (M.B., B.S., B.Med.Sci. (Hons)., F.R.A.N.Z.C.O.) is an internationally trained and highly regarded eye specialist and laser eye surgery expert in the Sydney, Australia area. Want to learn more? Visit his site at Laser Eye Surgery Sydney