Potential Side Effects of LASIK

LASIK eye surgery is among the most popular surgical procedures in the United States. With around 800,000 procedures performed every year, it is widely recognized among the safest surgical procedures as well. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, fewer than 1% of LASIK patients experience complications—and over 90% achieve 20/20 vision or better. (Of course, at 20/20 Institute, 99.67% of our LASIK patients have achieved 20/20 vision or better*, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves here.) Importantly, while LASIK is demonstrably safe, it is also a surgical procedure and, as with all surgical procedures, comes with some risks. Understanding these risks should play a vital role in your decision to have or not to have LASIK.

At 20/20 Institute, we take your safety very seriously. Our team of board-certified ophthalmologists and LASIK experts have adopted some of the most advanced technologies available in the field of refractive surgery, helping to ensure optimal precision. Our commitment to continuing education and constant enhancement of surgical techniques and skills further help to improve our patient outcomes and provide the foundation on which our exceptional patient care rests. If you have questions about LASIK side effects, we encourage you to reach out to learn more. Honest, straightforward, and eternally patient-focused, we are here to answer your questions and assist you in deciding if LASIK—or another vision correction procedure—is a good fit for you.

Questions About LASIK Side Effects? Call Us for a FREE Consultation

To learn more about the benefits and potential side effects of LASIK, call 20/20 Institute at 303-202-0669 today. We have offices in North Denver (Westminster), The DTC (Englewood), Downtown Denver, and Colorado Springs. We serve Boulder, Fort Collins, Castle Rock, and all nearby areas of Colorado.

What Are the Most Common Side Effects of LASIK?

LASIK is a safe, effective, and common procedure, but some side effects may occur as your eyes heal. Most of these LASIK side effects are typically mild and resolve on their own over time.

Potential LASIK side effects include:

• Dry Eyes. The most common post-LASIK side effect is dry eyes. This happens because LASIK can temporarily reduce tear production. We provide all of our patients with post-surgery care plans—including prescription eye drops and preservative-free artificial tears—to mitigate discomfort and support the healing process. In addition to eye drops, our patients can choose to proactively add Light Therapy treatments to their LASIK care at 20/20 Institute. Light Therapy which is a painless in-office set of 30-minute treatments, can reduce inflammation and jump-start the cellular activity of the tear glands which improves dry eye symptoms post-LASIK.
• Glares and Halos. Some patients notice halos or glare around lights, especially at night, for the first few months of recovery. As the corneal tissue heals, these visual disturbances typically diminish.
• Fluctuating Vision. It is normal to experience slight fluctuations in vision during the healing process. This usually stabilizes within three to six weeks as the eyes recover and adjust.
• Over and Undercorrection. Overcorrection and under-correction of the patient’s eyeglasses prescription is also possible with LASIK surgery. Less of a side effect and more of a basic risk of the procedure, we provide a LASIK refinement surgery for free for patients to treat over or under correction after LASIK as part of a patient’s one year of comprehensive follow-up care at 20/20 Institute.

If you experience one or more of the side effects of LASIK after surgery at 20/20 Institute, it’s a good idea to let us know during your follow-up visits. These will be scheduled at regular intervals after your procedure to allow us to monitor your progress during recovery. While we do not anticipate any issues, we will also provide you with your surgeon’s cell phone number, enabling you to call directly with any immediate or pressing concerns.

What Are the Rare Side Effects Associated with LASIK Eye Surgery?

Some LASIK side effects, such as dry eye, are fairly common and expected. Almost all LASIK patients experience some level of dryness after LASIK. On the other hand, complications are rare, and very, very few patients are impacted by them. Studies show that only around .8% of LASIK patients experience complications. These may include:

• Corneal Ectasia. This condition occurs when the cornea weakens and bulges after surgery. At 20/20 Institute, our advanced corneal mapping and ultrasound technologies help to identify patients at higher risk of this condition. Patients at higher risk are advised to not proceed with LASIK at 20/20 Institute. 
• Infection. Infection can slow healing and increase risks for vision disruptions. The Denver LASIK doctors at 20/20 Institute follow strict sterilization protocols and provide prescription eye drops and detailed post-op care instructions to help prevent this very rare complication.
• Excessive Inflammation. It is normal with all medical procedures for the patient to experience some inflammation from surgical intervention. However excessive inflammation is a rare complication with LASIK that is treated with either more intense use of prescription eye drops or a second surgical procedure to remove the excessive inflammation. 
• Flap Complications. There is a rare risk of an incomplete or partial flap when the surgery and the laser are creating the flap.  That would be known immediately, and the surgeon would not proceed with LASIK. Also, there is a risk that the flap does not heal properly, it can lead to complications such as epithelial ingrowth or flap dislocation, which can impact vision. We minimize the risk of improper flap creation and healing with the use of bladeless LASIK technology, which allows for more precise flap creation and helps promote better healing than the older bladed microkeratome flap creation technique.

At 20/20 Institute, we believe in transparency. This means being upfront about even the most unlikely of risks. Our comprehensive candidacy evaluation process helps greatly to reduce your risks of the most serious side effects of LASIK, but you play a role as well. Carefully following our pre- and post-operative instructions will help to ensure a smooth LASIK recovery and assist in safeguarding you from its more concerning side effects.

The Importance of Thorough LASIK Candidacy Screening

Every surgical procedure has the potential for side effects and complications. This is true for everyone. It is even more true, however, for people who aren’t very good candidates for a procedure. This makes thorough candidacy screening and strict candidacy requirements all the more important.

At 20/20 Institute, we take extra care in evaluating potential LASIK patients to ensure they meet the right criteria for the procedure. We use advanced diagnostic tools and techniques—beyond what is standard for candidacy evaluation at many other practices—to minimize the risk of complications and maximize the chances of a successful outcome. This is an essential part of our LASIK process and a key factor in the remarkable success we have enjoyed with this vision correction procedure.

Some conditions exclude patients from being good candidates and some conditions will increase the risk of complications during or after LASIK. Pre-existing conditions that can complicate LASIK candidacy or recovery include:

• Chronic dry eye
• Extra large pupils
• Fluctuating vision or an unstable eyeglass prescription 
• Glaucoma
• Cataracts
• Keratoconus
• Diabetes
• Certain autoimmune disorders

Our doctors have a set of conservative candidacy criteria to ensure we only perform LASIK on patients who are excellent candidates. This commitment to patient safety is one of the reasons so many of our patients achieve outstanding visual outcomes. And if LASIK isn’t the best fit for you? No need to worry. Our Denver LASIK doctors will help you explore other options that could be safer and more appropriate vision correction alternatives, including ICL and PRK.

Your Safety Is Our Top Priority

Patient safety is at the core of every decision we make. We utilize advanced LASIK technology—including Wavefront Optimized® technology—to create a custom treatment plan based on the anatomy of each eye. This custom approach reduces the risk of side effects while helping to ensure a more precise and predictable outcome.

Our patient-centered philosophy means we prioritize open communication, thoroughly explaining the risks and benefits of LASIK during every consultation. Your personal patient counselor will be available every step of the way to answer your questions, provide support and advice, and help ensure your comfort from the moment we meet you through your last follow-up visit and beyond. Our commitment to your happiness is never-ending.

Learn more about the patient experience at 20/20 Institute by reading our reviews!

Contact 20/20 Institute for a FREE LASIK Evaluation

Are you ready to learn how LASIK can improve your vision and enhance your life? Contact 20/20 Institute online or call our Westminster, LoDo, DTC, or Colorado Springs office to schedule your FREE LASIK evaluation and learn if you’re a candidate. Our team of LASIK experts will guide you through every step of the way to ensure your experience is safe, comfortable, and tailored to your unique needs.