Before deciding to spend your money on Lasik surgery (laser eye surgery) to correct your vision, you should understand the potentially harmful side effects. Roni Caryn Rabin reports for The New York Times that Lasik surgery may permanently harm your eyes. Blurry vision and dry eye are two common side effects of Lasik surgery, which can last a lifetime.
Lasik surgery is a fairly common procedure. Since it was first approved, nearly 10 million Americans have gotten Lasik surgery to correct their vision. Yet, many of them appear not to appreciate the potential side effects.
The side effects of Lasik surgery range in number and severity. Some people experience irreversible damage to their eyes, with serious trouble seeing and agonizing eye pain after Lasik surgery. One person featured in Rabin’s story reported seeing in triplicate, extreme sensitivity to light, light rings around bright objects, dry eye, a burning sensation in his eyes, and poor night vision.
The FDA lists several side effects of Lasik surgery on its web site, but reports that “most patients are very pleased with the results.” Results of a recent clinical trial of Lasik surgery patients published in January 2017 in JAMA Ophthalmology suggest that the FDA may be overstating people’s satisfaction with the results. “Many participants without visual symptoms at baseline developed symptoms following the procedure,” according to the JAMA study.
Almost half of people who had healthy eyes and received Lasik surgery developed visual aberrations afterwards. Almost one in three people suffered dry eye pain after Lasik surgery. In a 2008 FDA hearing, people who received Lasik surgery testified to the chronic pain they experienced after surgery, as well as job loss, depression and suicidal feelings.
No doubt, many people appear happy with Lasik surgery. And, some people who receive laser eye surgery experience harmful side effects that go away after a few months. But, the risks of blurry vision, chronic eye pain, light sensitivity, and poor night vision are real and should not be taken lightly.
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