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Whenever a patient undergoes any type of surgical procedure there is a
possibility for complications. It is natural that when a person’s body is opened
up and tools are in use that bacteria of some can enter the patient or the body
could have a reaction related to the medication. LASIK surgery is no different,
there are risks to LASIK surgery, but they are few and far between.
LASIK risk continues to drop as doctors and engineers perfect the equipment
used in the process. The risks involved in LASIK also drop as doctors
continue to screen for the right candidates to have the surgery. Research
now shows that with the right pre-testing and surgical care the risk of any
complications in LASIK surgery are less than 1%.
The most common risk with LASIK surgery is a complication with the flap
created by the surgeon to cover the cornea. In traditional LASIK surgery the
flap is created when tissue is cut by a surgical tool known as a
microkeratome. Since this tool, a metal blade is used by a human being there
remains a risk related to human error.
When this type of traditional LASIK is performed the risk is when the flap is
then used as the natural bandage at the end of the surgery it is not the right
size. Therefore, the complication is an irregular bandage that irritates the eye
and causes what is known as an irregular astigmatism. This LASIK risk is
greatly reduced by a newer “bladeless” LASIK procedure.
In bladeless LASIK the risk of complication is reduced because the blade or
microkeratome is no longer used. It is replaced by IntraLase, or another type
of laser, that eliminates the human error.
When assessing these LASIK risks it is recommended that when you are
considering LASIK surgery that you ask your doctor how he/she goes about
correcting these problems. Some complications that arise from LASIK can be
made even worse by over or under correction. Ask your doctor for more
information about this and anything else related to LASIK. |
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