LASIK Eye Surgery Not Right For Everyone

The popular procedure is called LASIK because the real name is such a mouthful. It stands for laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis, and it can help correct your vision.

The surgery changes the shape of your cornea, the membrane that covers the pupil and iris. It’s best suited for those with nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. The best part? No more foggy glasses. Those who have had the surgery are thrilled that they can now see from the time they get up in the morning to the time they go to bed at night – with no fumbling on the nightstand for a pair of glasses.

But it’s not right for everyone.  Though the results are a far cry from the terrors proposed during an episode of “The Simpsons” (when Ned Flanders remarked, “It’s all well and good at first, but at the ten-year mark your eyes fall out”), doctors caution that not all patients need correction.

Joyce Frootman is one of more than 100,000 Canadians who had eye surgery in the past year. And like about five per cent of candidates, she experienced some severe complications.

“I knew something was wrong after the surgery but I didn’t know what. I just knew my vision wasn’t correct,” she says.

After seeing her doctor, she found a name for her condition.

“I had something called ghosting, where I would read letters and I would see a shadow of each letter,” she describes.

Frootman’s problem began with her choice of surgeon. She chose one based on his convenient location, not his equipment.

“There are discount laser centres that offer people technology that isn’t up to date,” explains Dr. Sheldon Herzig of The Herzig Eye Institute. He also said that “bargain-hunting” consumers need to focus on their priorities.

“You shouldn’t discount your eyes, discount your vision. Your eyes are priceless, and you should only get the best,” he says.

Dr Herzig performed follow-up treatments on Frootman to correct the problems her first doctor created.  In total, her surgeries cost over $10,000. She thinks the extra money was well spent.

“I’m so thankful I have good vision now, because if I had gone back to my first surgeon, I don’t know what my eyes would be like right now,” Frootman beams.

Thinking about the surgery yourself? Here are the four questions you need to ask:

• How many procedures has the doctor performed?
• What is the surgeon’s rate of retreatment?
• What kind of laser is used? (Visx and Intralase are the newest.)
• Is the price too good to be true?

You should also be aware of the dangers associated with the surgery.

RISKS

Undercorrections
If the laser removes too little tissue from your eye, you won’t get the vision results you were hoping for. Undercorrections are more common for people who are nearsighted. You may need another refractive surgery (enhancement surgery) within a year to remove more tissue.

Overcorrections
It’s also possible that the laser will remove too much tissue from your eye. Overcorrections may be more difficult to fix than undercorrections.

Astigmatism
Astigmatism can be caused by uneven tissue removal. This sometimes occurs if your eye moves too much during surgery. It may require additional surgery.

Glare, halos and double vision
After surgery you may have difficulty seeing at night. You might notice glare, halos around bright lights or double vision. Sometimes these signs and symptoms can be treated with eyedrops that contain a type of corticosteroid, but sometimes a second surgery is required.

Dry eyes
For the first six months or so after your surgery, as your eyes heal they might feel unusually dry. Your eye doctor might recommend that you use eyedrops during this time. If you experience severe dry eye, you could opt for another procedure to get special plugs put in your tear ducts to prevent your tears from draining away from the surface of your eyes.

Flap problems
Folding back or removing the flap from the front of your eye during surgery can cause complications, including infection, tearing and swelling. The flap removed during PRK may grow back abnormally.

Information taken from the Mayo Clinic. 

Several television monitors show Dr. Michael Duplessie (not seen) performing laser eye surgery on a patient at the Visual Freedom Center in Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, VA 21 August 1999. The surgery, know as LASIK or Laser in-Situ Keratomileusis uses a cool laser beam to reshape the cornea and correct a person’s vision. Photo credit Stephen Jaffe/AFP/Getty Images.