New York Malpractice & Injury Lawyer Blog
Many people choose to undergo LASIK surgery in order to throw away their glasses and contacts forever. While the procedure has definite benefits, there are risks associated that aren’t always widely discussed. Before you choose to have the procedure, it is important that you aware of the risks involved and weigh your options carefully.
1. Loss of Vision
LASIK is supposed to improve your vision to the point that you don’t have to rely on lenses of one type or another. The good news is that this risk is relatively low. Many times, a loss of vision is associated with a complication or error during the procedure.
2. High Order Aberrations
High order aberrations occur in the aging population. These include halo’s, starbursts and double vision. It is estimated that only about 5 to 10 LASIK patients have these symptoms after the procedure. Unfortunately, these issues cannot be corrected after laser eye surgery.
3. Under or Over Correction
The goal of this surgery is to make sure that you don’t have to wear glasses anymore. In some cases, the doctor removes too much or too little of the cornea. When this happens, vision is over or under corrected. Patients may discover that they cannot see perfectly or that they have the opposite type of vision. For example, patients that were short sighted before LASIK are long sighted after.
4. Itchy Eyes
Dry, red and itchy eyes may be chronic after LASIK. In some patients, chronically dry or irritated eyes may get better over time. For others, the condition is permanent and artificial tears will be necessary for the rest of their lives.
5. Decreased Vision
Many people believe that results from LASIK are always permanent. People who are long sighted may experience decreasing vision with age, just as someone would who had never had the surgery. Presbyopia, as this condition is known, may require that you eventually have to go back to wearing glasses.
LASIK procedures are completed everyday across the nation and a good number of patients make it through the procedure without incident. If you have had laser eye surgery in New York and believe that it involved an error on the part of your doctor, call our office. We will review the details of your case and advise you of the options you have under state law.