Are You At Risk From Laser Eye Surgery?

Laser eye surgery risk is real however, the procedure has an extremely high success rate and most people would consider the benefits far outweigh any risks associated with it. Nevertheless, as surgery, those risks are always there and while this article is not meant to sway your decision away from having eye surgery, it is intended to highlight some of the possible complications which could occur.

Laser Eye Surgery Risk

Let's not try to portray too negative an image of laser eye surgery. Undoubtedly, you will be going in with eyes wide open and aware of the risks involved and by the time you are in the operating chair, you will have weighed up all the pros and cons and will be happy with your decision. Here are some of the associated risks which could occur:

- vision loss
- visual symptoms
- regular follow ups as a result of under or over treatment
- dry eyes
- diminishing results

Laser Eye Surgery Risks In More Detail

As we mentioned earlier, this article is not intended to sway your decision away from eye surgery. We have written many articles solely on the benefits of this procedure but for a balanced view, it's important to recognize that surgery on the eyes is not always cut and dry.

Your surgeon will no doubt point these out to you during your consultation phase and if they are doing their job properly, you will actually be assessed as to whether you are a candidate for laser surgery. So in actual fact, if there are inherent risks determined during this initial phase then you will in all probability be recommended not to have the procedure.

Vision loss is extremely rare. On occasions, some loss of vision may be experienced by some patients which cannot be corrected either with visual aids or further surgery. Serious though it is, it's considered a minimal risk.

Visual symptoms such as glare and halos are experienced by some patients and in conditions with poor contrast, visuals could be affected. Another side effect could be dry eye syndrome. It's an uncomfortable experience for the patient whose eyes may not produce enough tears. Depending on the level of the problem, in some cases it could be permanent.

Eye Surgery Risk Facts

Risk factors are low in eye surgery but they still exist. For example, did you know the chances of flap complications are less than a quarter of one percent. Flap problems include displaced, slipped or folds in the flaps.

Don't Be Discouraged By Laser Eye Surgery Risk

While the side effects can be real, compare them with the benefits before being swayed one way or the other. It's easy to sit down and read an article like this and think..."No way, I'm not going to pursue this course of action" but before you do, sit down with your doctor and discuss each of the main risks.

As reported earlier, in some cases, the decision won't be the patients to make as extensive pre-screening needs to be performed to determine if a person is eligible for laser eye surgery.