Medical science has seen so much of advancement in the last decade or more that these days there are probably only a few things that cannot be corrected by surgery. Laser eye treatment is one such technological wonder and it has turned out to be a well established and successful procedure and a number of people are using this as a way to sort out their vision problems. As with all surgery here too, there are some risks involved in having a serious complication like your vision being threatened or severe eye injury although they are small. But since it has been established that the surgery is not without risks we can explore some of the common risks involved.

We start with the occurrence of under correction and overcorrection. Eyes are special and unique in nature and each person's eye will respond differently to laser eye treatment so it is possible that you may continue needing corrective lenses even after surgery for clarity in your vision and another procedure may be required to correct this deficiency. Regression occurs when patients find that the effects of the procedure are diminishing as in under correction and another surgery may be required.

Excessive corneal haze occurs as part of the healing process and generally it has a miniscule effect on the final result and clarity of vision obtained, though any excesses can interfere with normal vision which may require further laser treatment. There is a 1-in-a-1000 chance of infection and delayed healing of the cornea after having undergone laser eye treatment but lasting effects don't appear till within four years of the procedure.

Irregular removal of tissue and or existence of corneal haze may interfere with the best obtainable vision for patients who use lenses and the result may not be as good as before. It leads to a decrease in the best-corrected vision. The irregular healing of the corneal tissue flap or a distorted flap may cause some distortion in the cornea, and this could also mean a decrease in vision.

Severe dry eye syndrome occurs when the eye is not able to produce enough tears post surgery to keep the eyes wet and comfortable. While this does not cause discomfort it does affect the quality of vision to a slight extent because of intermittent blurring and then there is a possibility that this might be permanent and require further surgery or at the very least, an intensive course of treatment with eye drops.

The halo effect is best defined as an optical effect experienced when there are low lights. When the pupil opens, the patient will find another image slightly faded that is in the peripheral part of the cornea that was not treated and this can cause trouble while driving at night. Flap damage or loss happens when the tissue flap hinged to the central cornea comes unhinged. While the flap can be replaced there is a chance that this bit of tissue may get damaged or lost.

All in all, there are risks involved with laser eye surgery. So one will have to take an informed decision to go ahead with it, weighing all the pros and cons and knowing what to expect and how best to deal with it.

Refractive surgery (LASIK) often produces amazing results, however, as with any medical procedure, there are risks involved. If you're considering LASIK, it's important that you are aware of the limitations and possible complications that may arise.

According to FDA reports, nearly 100% of LASIK patients have good results and no complications, but you need to be aware that there are things that can and do go wrong. Some problems include double or triple vision, light distortion so severe that patients can't drive at night, or eyes so dry that they have to wear goggles when going outside.

Some patients experience infections, inflammation of the eye, redness, blurriness or eye irritation. In many cases, LASIK eye surgery can eliminate your need for corrective lenses, but that's not always the result. Sometimes, LASIK will drastically reduce your dependence on corrective lenses, but you may still require corrective lenses for some activities, such as reading. It's best to think of LASIK as reducing your dependency upon corrective lenses - not necessarily as eliminating your need for them.

Diffuse lamellar keratitis is a post operative LASIK risk that happens when a foreign substance, such as a hair or speck of dirt gets trapped behind the corneal flap. If this happens to you, you may experience pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, along with the sensation that something is trapped in your eye. Rubbing will only intensify the problem and may lead to further complications, such as infection or tearing or dislodging of the corneal flap. Diffuse lamellar keratitis usually occurs as the result of the patient not exercising proper precautions during the healing period after LASIK eye surgery.

One of the most common complications of LASIK eye surgery is a slipped flap. The flap that was created during the LASIK procedure may become detached from the rest of the cornea. Most doctors recommend that you go home and sleep for several hours after completing the LASIK procedure in order to allow the cornea to start its healing process. That's good advice and can substantially reduce your chances of experiencing a slipped flap.

Even without LASIK eye surgery, it's expected that everyone's eyes will change slightly with the passage of time - it's just a natural part of life. After LASIK, your eyes will still follow their natural course of changing with time, so LASIK shouldn't necessarily be considered a permanent solution. For most people however, their vision will not change enough to require any additional treatments, especially when the original procedure was done to correct for poor distant vision.

The information provided here is not intended to scare you away from LASIK eye surgery, since it has been a blessing to a great many people. For many who have chosen LASIK, it has meant that they are no longer dependent on corrective lenses in order to have good vision. It's highly recommended that you talk with your doctor about LASIK and how any possible risks or side effects relate to your own personal circumstances.

lasik eye redness

Most patients who undergo refractive surgery are delighted with the results. However, just like any other surgical procedure, there are also some risks that come with it. This is why it is very important to be aware of the possible complications, effects and laser eye surgery risks.

Here is a list of the most common laser eye surgery risks, and complications

In order to understand the complications, there has to be a simple understanding of the procedure of Lasik eye surgery. Lasik eye surgery involves the cutting of a small flap in the front covering of the eye or cornea. The flap is lifted so that the laser may reshape the eye and then the flap is replaced as a type of bandage.

The flap is cut using a type of bladed instrument called a "microkeratome" or else with a laser. The surgeon's preference determines what technology is used. Using a laser to perform this portion of the procedure allows for more precision and, therefore, fewer complications are likely to arise.

Now, if the flap is not cut correctly it may fail to form properly to the surface of the eye. The flap might also be cut too small or thin, which would cause wrinkling upon the attempt to adhere the flap to the surface of the eye. These complications can lead to an irregularly shaped eye surface and in time may lead to astigmatism or blurry vision.

Vision Loss

After the procedure, a very small percentage of all patients experience a vision loss which cannot be corrected with glasses, contacts or a second surgery. This is a very rare, but very serious laser eye surgery risk.

Debilitating Visual Symptoms

Some patients experience halos, glare or double vision after surgery. This causes serious night vision problems. Even if they have a good vision on the vision chart, they may not see well at night, in fog or in other situations of low contrast. They may even see worse in these situations than they did before treatment.

Under Treatment or Over Treatment

This is a very frequent laser eye surgery risk. Only a small percentage of patients obtain 20/20 vision after surgery without glasses or contacts. You may need additional treatment to enhance vision, but this is not always possible. Even if you used to wear very weak prescription glasses before treatment, you may still need glasses or contact lenses afterwards. If you used to wear reading glasses before, you might still need them after surgery.

Severe Dry Eye Syndrome

Another laser eye surgery risk is to develop serious dry eye syndrome. After surgery, your eyes might not be able to produce enough tears for keeping moist. This not only produces discomfort, by can also reduce quality vision due to permanent blurring and other problems. This eye condition may be permanent. It is usually treated with intensive eye drop therapy, but other procedures can also be used.

Results Diminishing with Age

Another laser eye surgery risk is for results to decrease over time, especially in patients with farsighted vision. If your manifest refraction (an exam with lenses before using dilating drops) differs from your cyclopegic refraction (another exam with lenses after applying dilating drops), the chances of getting this side effect are higher.

For newer technologies, there is not enough research data available. As some of them have been developed only a few years ago, long-term effectiveness and safety cannot be determined yet. Even though they are more advanced, they might have some unknown long-term side effects.

As with any surgical procedure, there are a variety of complications. Care must be taken to select the right Lasik eye surgeon for your specific needs and also to decide of Lasik eye surgery is the right procedure for you. The most important factor in successful surgery is to find an experienced surgeon, who will monitor your follow up care, and be there with you if you find yourself having any of these complications.