At this point, if you are here, you are probably considering laser surgery. Well, any kind of surgery can be a scary thing. With anything, like this you should know the complications that may arise and whether these risks are worth it for you.
As you should know, it is impossible to list all the associated risks and complications that you may come across. A good reason for this has to do with how everyone is different. There comes a time where one patient may experience something that no one else has. Every person’s body reacts differently to things and some people are more prone to side effects, while others are not. You really never can tell until you actually have the experience for yourself.
Some of the common problems that people come across when getting laser eye surgery are overcorrection, under correction, loss of best-corrected vision, time glare, double vision, night myopia, halos and starbursts, vision blurring, flap melt, flap dislocation, flap wrinkles, flap striate, central island, free flap, lost flap, incomplete flap, corneal abrasion, and de-centered ablation. Below you will find an explanation for some of the terms that you may not be familiar with.
Overcorrection often is uncommon and has to do with the cornea regressing to its original state of refractive error. Usually this will stabilize within 1-3 months and if not you will need glasses for work that is close up and for reading. Under correction can be fixed when severe and is why steroid drops are used as a way to control regression.
When a patient loses their best corrected vision, that means they no longer can see as well with glasses prior to the surgery, at times contact lenses are used as a remedy to this situation. Time glare has to do with headlight glare from other vehicles, when driving at nighttime.
Night myopia has to do with a condition of the eyes becoming increasingly nearsighted at nighttime, which leads to blurry vision, however it can be fixed by use of glasses at night with minus lenses. Halos and starburst occur at night and are the enlargement of pupils beyond the area treated. Flap melt has to do with the disintegration of the flap, therefore leading to surgical intervention.
Flap dislocation occurs when the corneal flap does not align properly within the corneal bed and is treated surgically. Flap wrinkles can be fixed surgically and happens by minor or major flap dislocation. Flap striae occurs in various ways and treatment therefore is dependent on that as well as symptoms. Surgical intervention usually does not occur unless vision is threatened.
Central island is when there is an island of corneal tissue that remains within the visual axis after surgery. This however, is more uncommon with newer laser machines, which have been programmed to prevent this. Usually, this kind of problem corrects itself. Free flap happens when microkeratome creates a flap due its blade cutting the hinge. This is uncommon. When there is a lost flap there is possibility for serious complications with healing and problems with vision. It has to do with the physical loss of the flap after problems with a free flap.
Incomplete flap usually occurs when there is a malfunction with the microkeratome. This leads to having to cancel the procedure during the process and scheduling for a later date. Corneal abrasion happens within the top later of the cornea and caused by the normal action of the microkeratome’s movement across. Corneal abrasion has to do with the patient and their susceptibility to this happening. The way to treat this, is either to tape the eyelids closed, or use soft contacts as a type of bandage.
Decentered ablation rarely happens with the newer lasers and happens as a result of poorly positioning the patients head, or the patient not focusing on the laser right. As noticed there are many risks associated with laser eye surgery and this only is a few of the list of many. It is always wise to research and go over with your doctor any risks that you may experience.
Tags: Patients