The Real Risks associated with LASIK Surgery

Every surgical procedure poses inherent risks and in this respect LASIK is no different. It just so happens that when a patient's body is opened up and different tools are used that bacteria of some sort can enter the body. Not only that, the patient may have a reaction caused by the medication. There are risks to LASIK surgery too, but they are fewer and far in between.

The risks associated with LASIK continue to drop as the medical establishment perfect the equipment and refine their processes. The risks involved in LASIK further drop as patients become better informed and therefore choose the best doctors for their surgery.

Doctors too improved their screening methods to ensure that only the right candidates are admitted to have LASIK surgery. The latest research now shows that with the right pre-testing and surgical care in place, the risk of complications occurring in LASIK surgery is less than 1%.

The risk most common in LASIK surgery is a complication relating to the flap created by the surgeon to cover the cornea. In traditional LASIK surgery the flap is created when the surgeon cuts tissue with a surgical tool called a microkeratome. Since this tool, which is basically a metal blade is handled by a human being there is the risk of human error occurring.

When this type of traditional LASIK is performed the risk is that when the flap is used as the natural bandage after the surgery it may not be the right size. Hence, the complication is an irregular bandage which irritates the eye and causes what is called an irregular astigmatism. This specific LASIK risk is greatly decreased by a newer "bladeless" LASIK procedure.

In bladeless LASIK the blade or microkeratome is no longer used and the risk of complication is hence decreased. It is replaced by another type of laser called IntraLase, which eliminates the potential human error.

Ask your doctor as part of your original process how they deal with a similar situation.

When evaluating these LASIK risks it is recommended that you ask you LASIK surgeon how he/she would correct such problems. Some complications that result from LASIK surgery can be made even worse by over or under correction. Ask your doctor as part of your original process how they deal with this specific situation.

By: L Jimmy Roos