The Truth about LASIK They Don't Want You to Know

The Truth about LASIK They Don't Want You to Know

I know many of you have considered LASIK EYE surgery. It seems like the desire for a "quick fix" is part of human nature and why wouldn't it be. However, the reality is that there are a number of issues to consider before undergoing an invasive surgical procedure such as LASIK or other eye surgeries such as PRK.

You may be concerned about the cost. The average cost for this invasive surgery is about $1,500 to $2,000 per eye. And most insurance companies do not cover the cost of LASIK EYE SURGERY.

Even more worrisome is the risk of complications and side effects from botched or problematic LASIK EYE SUREGERY , many of which have been downplayed to the general public.They are real and you should be aware of them.

The FDA's website on LASIK surgery advises those contemplating the procedure to carefully weigh these risks:

Surgical errors or device malfunction that may lead to irreversible eye damage.

You may lose even more vision as a result of LASIK (and this is not as uncommon as you might think).

Surgical complications such as inflammation or infection may cause irreversible blindness.

You may develop debilitating visual symptoms, particularly in low light or night-time conditions, such as "halos" or "starbursts", glare around lights and/or double vision or "ghost images". (Sometimes these side effects never go away ... )

Only a certain percentage of patients achieve 20/20 vision without glasses or contacts you may be under-treated or over treated sounds crazy but it's true.

Severe dry eye syndrome may occur, which not only causes discomfort, but can cause permanently reduced vision.

Your results may not be as good if you have large refractive errors of any type.

If you are farsighted, your results may diminish as you grow older.

Since long-term data is not available, the long-term safety and effectiveness of LASIK is unknown.

And, as the FDA says: "there are never any guarantees in medicine".

See What Others Have to Say!

LASIK or PRK surgery is expensive and risky, and the long-term effects are unknown. You can even avoid LASIK EYE SURGERY with natural vision improvement.


You may wonder how these visual distortions such as glare, ghosting, halos, starbursts, double vision and loss of low-light vision may occur. There is a wide variety in equipment (and surgical skill) used to perform LASIK and similar procedures. Eye surgeons have encountered many complications of LASIK surgery. These are just a few:

If the LASIK flap is not cut precisely, it may not adhere correctly to the eye's surface. Or, the flap might be cut too thinly or thickly, or wrinkle after being placed back on the eye's surface. These flap complications can result in an irregularly shaped eye surface (known as irregular astigmatism) -- this can lead to permanent visual distortions.

When a flap is cut too deeply or too much corneal tissue is removed during LASIK, you may develop a condition called keratectasia, which causes bulging of the weakened cornea. The vision distortions that result are unlikely to be correctable; rigid contact lenses may be required to maintain the cornea in its proper place.

Diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK), nicknamed "Sands of the Sahara" for the gritty and irritating sensation it produces, can occur when dead cells "infiltrate" beneath the LASIK flap. The cornea then reacts to the presence of this foreign debris, causing inflammation, scarring, and potential permanent vision loss unless immediate treatment is received.

These days, it seems like LASIK clinics are popping up everywhere, making bold promises of 20/20 vision ... or your money back. I don't know about you, but getting a refund for a botched surgery isn't very comforting or possible.

And you may not even be eligible for this type of eye surgery. You may be a poor candidate for LASIK:

If you have an autoimmune disease or other serious or chronic illness that might slow healing.
If you take steroids or other medications that might prevent healing.
If you have dry eyes.
If you have thin corneas.
If your vision hasn't been stable for at least one year prior to surgery.
If you have a history of herpes infection in your eye.
If you have scarring on your cornea.
If you have had an eye infection or injury in the last year.
If you're pregnant or nursing (hormones can cause temporary shifts in your vision).
If you have an occupation which is not conducive to undergoing eye surgery.
Of course, a major drawback of LASIK or PRK surgery is that it does absolutely nothing to address the cause of your vision problems.

And, of course, the same thing goes for farsightedness.

This certainly explains why improving your vision naturally takes longer -because it is addressing the real cause of your visual problems.

WHEN LASICK EYE SURGERY GOES BAD EYE OF THE TIGER'S

What Are The Risks Of Laser Eye Surgery

If you are considering LASIK and you are worried that something could go wrong, you might take comfort in knowing that it's extremely rare for complications from this procedure to cause permanent, significant vision loss.But it does happen and can happen to you .

Selecting the right eye surgeon probably is the single most important step you can take to decrease any risks associated with LASIK EYE SURGERY . An experienced, reputable surgeon will make sure you are properly screened to let you know up front if you aren't a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery.

Even if you are not qualified for LASIK EYE SURGERY, you might still be able to undergo vision correction through other means such as PRK, LASEK, or implantable lenses (phakic IOLs). If you do decide to undergo LASIK EYE SURGERY, a responsible eye surgeon will work closely with you to resolve problems if they do develop.

Just How Common Are LASIK Complications?Public confidence in the LASIK EYE SURGERY procedure has grown in recent years because of a solid success rate involving millions of successful procedures in the United States. With increasingly sophisticated technology used for the procedure, most LASIK EYE
SURGERY outcomes these days are somewhat favorable.

"Reports of night vision difficulties, LASIK EYE SURGERY flap dislocation, and dry eye are infrequent, and do not seem to have a significant negative impact on military operations or individual readiness," researchers who studied these outcomes concluded in the February 2005 issue of Ophthalmology journal.

LASIK Complication Rates Are Decreasing but remember complications generally were more common in the early years of LASIK EYE SURGERY, when studies in the late 1990s indicated that up to 5% of people undergoing the procedure experienced some type of problem.

Any health condition you have that might hamper your ability to heal should be mentioned and discussed in detail with your eye surgeon. Large pupil sizes also might be risk factors for LASIK EYE SURGERY complications, because pupils in dark conditions could expand beyond the area of the eye that was treated. Again, make sure you discuss any concerns about these or other matters with your eye surgeon. [See a list of conditions that might contribute to adverse LASIK EYE SURGERY outcomes.

When Surgeries Get Botched By There Own Doing

Some people are so desperate to change way they appear that they have glued back their own ears, tried to iron the wrinkles off their face and even cut open their stomachs in botched DIY tummy-tucks, according to a top psychologist.

Dr David Veale, a psychologist at the celebrity Priory Hospital in London, was speaking to an audience of psychologists at a conference in Bristol organised by the Centre of Appearance Research.

He said that the rise of 'DIY cosmetic surgery' was being driven by a celebrity culture which made people dissatisfied with their own bodies.

He said: "I have seen desperate people in the past who have glued their ears back and cut into their stomach in a bid to be thin.

"The worst case I am aware of is a man who did a DIY nose job. He pushed a chisel up his nose and then replaced the cartilage he had taken off with a chicken bone.

"These are very extreme cases but they do happen. Some people just can't live with there body's and are very, very desperate and their image of themselves is totally distorted.

"These are people who can't afford to go to a surgeon. I have had women who have drawn what they think they look like and you wouldn't believe how wrong they really are."

The psychologist also warned that desperate people - especially women - were feeling pressurised with the increase focus on beauty.

"DIY cosmetic surgery is used by the most depressed and the most desperate of people," he said.

"Over the past few years it has increased and this is the result of our society. We now focus more on looks than we have in a long time.

"And this is linked with the amount of money that is around. The people who have lots of money can afford plastic surgery and then as a result are putting more of a focus on looks and outer beauty."

Dr Veale said that this worrying trend for DIY cosmetic surgery was, in part, fueled by celebrity culture.

"Celebrity life is not the same as taht experienced by most of us and it's important we don't see what's normal for celebrities as desirable in our everyday lives."

Delegates at the conference called for plastic surgeons to make greater use of psychologists to ensure patients with severe body-image disorders do not undergo unnecessary operations. Are you feeling drastic measures are nessasary ?