When I had LASIK, although 'chronic pain' was acknowledged as a LASIK complication in the medical literature, it did not appear on the informed consent form with which I was presented by Doctor Gordon's staff.  Even today, LASIK surgeons and the co-managing ophthalmologists and optometrists that help them market LASIK frequently present LASIK as a "safe" procedure.  The informed consent form - the fine print - with which patients are presented before undergoing the surgery references some of the complications of refractive surgery.  But not all of them.

Suffice it to say that, without really trying, I know dozens of people - about a hundred - who have experienced considerable damage to their eyes after LASIK.  I'm not the Phil Donahue of LASIK complications - in other words, I haven't gone out of my way to meet those people.  I've just described my own LASIK-induced eye problems publicly, and people have telephoned me and emailed me.

Below, in the section "Educate Yourself", there are links to online forums where you can be exposed to a myriad assortment of LASIK complications

Oh, yes, one other thing.  Most LASIK industry people quote the LASIK complication rate as 1-3%.  In my opinion, that's an outright lie.  Nearly EVERYBODY I talk to - including Doctor Gordon - describe complications from refractive surgery that they themselves experience (following his own PRK, Doctor Gordon told me "he uses a few eye-drops now and then.")  For example, when I visit Tooma's sidewalk, there is a young guy that walks by.  He stopped and talked to me once ... and acknowledged that he was happy with his surgery ... except that he "uses so many damn eyedrops".  One of the guys I work with is also happy with the surgery ... and he says his vision fluctuates and is sometimes blurry.

In other words, based on my frequent conversations with people with "positive" LASIK outcomes, the complication rate is greater than 50%.

In some cases, patients have multiple complications - distressing enough to place them in the 1-3% category.  In other words, the 1-3% complications rate refers to cases of MULTIPLE complications where patients' abilities are reduced.  For example, I used to be capable of sitting at a computer screen 14 hours a day.  Now, 8 hours a day is quite challenging.  In addition to the 2 primary complications I described, my night vision is considerably diminished.

For example, in a darkened yoga class, I see silhouettes, not people.  If night vision problems were the extent of my post-LASIK vision complications, I'd probably be happy with the surgery.

And - most LASIK patients experience diminished night vision.  But they can see better on a Snellen chart !!

Copyright 2002, 2003 Roger E. Bratt