What are the possible complications of laser eye surgery?
It almost never happens that something happens during laser eye surgery, fortunately. And if complications do occur, we can often solve them well with medication or an additional treatment. That is why it is important that you never miss a check-up appointment after laser eye surgery. And that you adhere to the rules of life and advice that we give you. Below we explain which complications can arise.
Possible complications of laser eye surgery
Under- or overcorrection
It can happen that we have corrected your prescription slightly too little (undercorrection) or slightly too much (overcorrection). The greater your prescription deviation, the greater the chance that this will happen. We can often correct your prescription with a
additional treatment may solve the problem.
Scarring (haze)
Sometimes scar tissue forms in your cornea during the healing of the wound. This causes you to temporarily see less and/or less contrast. After 3 to 12 months you will see clearly again. We can accelerate this with medication.
Corneal wound
When you are recovering from your laser eye surgery, your cornea is still vulnerable. A small wound may occur. You will then suddenly experience symptoms such as pain, tears or discomfort from light. This usually occurs at night or in the morning when you wake up. These symptoms will diminish later in the day. If this happens, you can keep the eye moist with ointment or drops. You can also take extra pain medication.
Infection
The chance of getting an infection after your laser eye surgery is very small. To limit this risk, you will be given antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. If it does happen, you will notice this a few days after the operation. Your eye will then become red and usually painful. And your visual acuity will decrease significantly. In that case, contact your ophthalmologist immediately. Or call our emergency number, which is available 24/7; you will find this in the treatment brochure. The sooner we treat you, the less damage the infection will cause.
Other treatment by squeezing the eyelids hard
By squeezing the eyelids hard during the treatment it is possible that the treatment cannot be carried out. In that case, a switch can be made to another treatment. This treatment takes place at a different time.
IntraLasikFlap Treatment: Flap Complications
If you get an IntraLasik treatment, we make a so-called flap in your cornea. This can sometimes lead to the following specific problems that heal a little slower.
Flap not completely folded down
Sometimes we can't fold this flap completely. The IntraLasik treatment can't go ahead at that time. We usually choose to do a surface treatment at another time.
Epithelial cell ingrowth
In a few cases the flap does not lie completely smooth on the eye. During a follow-up treatment we then place the flap back on the eye.
Flap shift
It is almost never the case that the flap shifts. If it does, it is usually the result of rubbing the eye. You must be extra careful not to rub your eyes for the first 4 weeks after your IntraLasik treatment. Wear the protective goggles that we provide you with the first night after the treatment. This will prevent you from accidentally rubbing your eyes. If the flap does shift, we will put it back in a follow-up treatment.
Flap melting
Very rare. It can happen if you have extremely dry eyes or after an inflammatory reaction of the cornea after the treatment. This should heal itself, but takes a relatively long time.
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Possible side effects of laser eye surgery
Residual strength
After your laser eye treatment, there may be a minimal deviation in strength. We call this residual strength. If you experience this in your daily life, we will perform a new laser eye treatment free of charge. This falls within our lifelong guarantee. You only pay for the medication costs yourself.
Dry eyes
Your eyes may feel drier after the treatment. This varies per treatment. To soothe dry eyes, we can temporarily prescribe eye drops.
Light halos and glare
Sometimes after your laser eye treatment you see circles of light when you look at artificial light. We call these halos. These halos do not disappear. But because your brain gets used to them after a while, you automatically start to ignore them (and therefore you no longer see them). If you look at artificial light and the light radiates in the form of a star, we call this glare. This is partly caused by a dilated pupil. If the ophthalmologist finds during the preliminary examination that your pupils are too large, we usually advise against laser eye treatment.
Photosensitivity
Especially the first few days after laser eye treatment, your eyes are very sensitive to light. You will notice that you need sunglasses more quickly. We advise you to wear sunglasses in sunny weather for the first 6 months after a surface treatment (TransPRK and Lasek). This improves your recovery and prevents scarring on the cornea. After a while, the hypersensitivity decreases, but does not go away completely for everyone.
Can I go blind from laser eye surgery?
The chance of going blind after laser eye surgery is incredibly small. We have never experienced this in our clinics. As we said before: no operation is without risk. If you do not follow our advice or are careless with the rules of life and medication, this could theoretically lead to blindness. If you do exactly what is necessary for a good recovery, the chance of blindness is zero.
Frequently Asked Questions About Laser Eye Surgery Risks
Do you have any questions that are not answered? Then take a look at all our frequently asked questions here .
Is your question not listed? Please contact us. We are happy to help you.
Can you go blind from laser eye surgery? arrow_downward
The chance of going blind after treatment is very small. At FYEO we have never had to deal with this.
As with any medical procedure, there are risks associated with treatment. A complication, often caused by not following medical advice and careless handling of the lifestyle and medication, could theoretically lead to blindness. The chance of this is very minimal if you follow all the lifestyle rules. Complications are also often easy to treat.
What are the disadvantages of laser eye surgery? arrow_downward
- Only 1 strength can be corrected. Far or near.
- Not always possible with high prescription or reading glasses.
- Age is a determining factor. Laser eye surgery can generally be performed up to the age of 45.
Exceptions:
- Laser eye retreatment has no age limit.
What are the risks of laser eye surgery? arrow_downward
No surgery is without risk. Not even laser eye surgery. The chance is incredibly small, but complications can occur. That is why we offer a lifetime warranty on all our treatments. A number of risks listed.
Dry eyes
The eye may feel drier after the treatment. This varies per treatment. Artificial tears are temporarily prescribed to soothe.
Haze – at TransPRk and Lasek
In a few cases, during wound healing, a clouding of the cornea, haze, may occur. This can cause a temporary reduction in contrast and temporary reduction in vision. After 3 to 12 months, the clarity is in principle restored. Additional use of medication can accelerate this.
Starbursting
Starbursting, star formation around a light source, is partly caused by a dilated pupil. If the ophthalmologist finds that your pupils are too large, laser eye surgery may be advised against.
Tightly squinting eyelids
By squeezing the eyelids hard it is possible that the treatment cannot be carried out. In that case a switch can be made to a surface treatment.
Photosensitivity
After the treatment you may need sunglasses sooner. Especially in the first few days your eyes are very sensitive to light. This hypersensitivity decreases, but does not disappear completely for everyone.
What if I rub my eyes after laser eye surgery? arrow_downward
You may not rub your eyes for two weeks after laser eye surgery. For hygiene, healing, wrinkling and the bandage lens.
Lasek & TransPRK
With the Lasek and TransPRK treatment you get a bandage lens in your eyes. By accidentally rubbing your eyes you could move it. This lens is removed after 5 days.
IntraLasik Femtosecond & ReLEx SMILE
With the IntraLasik Femtosecond and ReLEx SMILE treatment, there is a small chance of wrinkling when you rub your eyes, especially in the first few days. If this unexpectedly happens to you, you can recognize it by burning, red eyes and blurred vision. Fortunately, it can be fixed.
Request a preliminary examination
Your preliminary examination is always free and without obligation and includes eye tests and a consultation with the eye specialist.
- Personalized treatment advice tailored to you
- The ophthalmologist from the consultation is the treating ophthalmologist
- All-inclusive price