III. Public Health Alert - Key Warnings
- Safety problems (risks)
- Adverse event percentages
- Persistent adverse events, including dry eyes and night vision difficulties: >20%
- Other problems: >1%
- Sight threatening thinning and bulging of the cornea (keratectasia): at least 0.66%
- Permanent pathology in cornea
- LASIK flap
- Never heals
- May be accidentally dislodged for the rest of a patient's lifetime
- Mechanical strength of post-LASIK cornea only ~2% strength of normal cornea
- Progressive loss of corneal cells for years after LASIK
- Corneal nerve damage never fully recovers
- Types of adverse events to expect
- Glare, halos, dry eye and compromised night driving
- Permanent loss of contrast sensitivity
- Unstable vision
- Permanent corneal haze
- Permanent dry eye
- Night time vision permanently impaired
- Vision improvements from LASIK will likely decline with age
- May require corneal transplant, expensive special hard contact lenses, or cross-linking treatment due to thinning and bulging of the cornea
- Extreme light sensitivity
- Benefits (effectiveness) — about 43% of LASIK cases may have temporary freedom from wearing spectacles or contact lenses