Possible Lasik Complications

Corneal Infections can be dangerous side effects of Lasik eye surgery but are extremely rare due to the use of antibiotic eye drops.

Decentered Ablation can occur after lasik eye surgery when the area of the cornea that had tissue removed is not aligned with the pupil. The side effects are that some of the light that enters the cornea will not be focused and some will (partial blurry vision). This can be attributed to a patient moving during lasik eye surgery, or an inexperienced lasik surgeon. This is also a very uncommon side effect of lasik eye surgery.

More common Lasik eye surgery complications occur during the creation of the flap. Either too small or too large of an incision can bring the lasik eye surgery to an end. This is not permanent and is easily fixed. Typically the lasik surgeon repositions the flap after a mistake is made and the patient is sent home to heal. The lasik eye surgery can be re-performed at a later date.

After the lasik eye surgery has been completed the flap can get dislodged. This is usually a result of adverse contact with your eyes or from rubbing your eyes while you sleep. This can be painful and should be treated immediately. If the flap is simply dislodged it can usually be repositioned relatively easily with no damage. However, if the flap gets completely dislocated and lost it must be replaced with donor tissue. Although this might sound frightening, the procedure is fairly easy and donor tissue is usually easily obtainable.

It is very important that you attend your day-after lasik eye surgery post operation doctor’s appointment. It is possible that there could be a wrinkle in your flap or epithelium cells growing underneath your flap. These problems are not serious but should be treated by the lasik surgeon as soon as possible.

It is possible for the muscle used to keep your eyelid open to get stretched out during lasik eye surgery. This side effect is called ptosis and can result in a droopy upper eyelid. If this problem does not go away within a few days it can be fixed with eyelid surgery.

People who get only one eye corrected with lasik eye surgery can experience anisometropia or aniseikonia. This is when either the eyes don’t focus light in the same places, or the size of the image seen by both eyes are different. These two conditions can be accompanied by headaches and nausea.