What Makes Laser Eye Surgery Safe And Are There Risks Involved?

Is laser eye surgery safe? If you look at the statistics then yes, it's very safe however, because it is a surgical procedure, there are still risks to take into consideration.

It's important to maintain realistic expectations when considering eye surgery. A friend or a relative may have had the procedure performed and are excited about the results. It's easy to get caught up in that excitement and rush in and explore your options. However, there is a lot of preliminary work to be done before you actually make it to the surgeon's chair.

Not Everyone Will Qualify For Laser Eye Surgery

Part of the process of making laser eye surgery safe is the preliminary studies. Not everyone will qualify. In fact, if you are pregnant or are pre-disposed to a dry eye condition then you could fall into the risk factor. This is why it's so important to talk to your doctor and become aware of exactly what your risk factors are.

You will be put through a rigorous screening process to determine if you are the right candidate and if not, then you will be told why you perhaps should consider not having the procedure performed.

Is Laser Eye Surgery Safe - Some Of The Risk Factors

Without trying to put you off laser eye surgery some of the risk factors include possible vision loss. Although this is rare, the risk still exists. For example, procedures which use a microkeratome blade to cut a flap involve the risk of cutting it off instead of leaving it hinged. If the flap is damaged, the patient may suffer vision loss. Even surgery which is successful has the ability to leave small imperfections that can result in blurred vision.

Newer technology which doesn't involve cutting a flap from the corneal tissue, such as IntraLanse makes laser eye surgery safe. These procedures are more accurate, but also more expensive. There are some techniques to correct imperfections left by a blade too.

Other risk factors include post operative infections; this is higher for PRK and Lasek procedures as opposed to Lasik, the risk of scar tissue being left by surgery and under or over corrected vision. Halo effects, corneal haze and decreased night vision are other problems which could be considered risk factors.

Are You Still Interested?

Is laser eye surgery safe? Well, it has an outstanding track record but while the majority of those patients who have benefitted from this procedure report excellent results, there are some who have experienced side effects; some disappearing over time while others are a little more serious. Keep your expectations realistic and get the "good oil" from your doctor.

Laser Eye Surgery Complication