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Long-term surgical complications plague few LASIK patients

As many as 700,000 patients have a laser procedure known as LASIK performed on them annually in this country with the expectation of being able to greatly reduce if not altogether eliminating their dependency on the use of contact lenses or glasses. While a large majority of those who have LASIK surgery have positive outcomes, some do not.

A representative with the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery notes that data that they've compiled shows that five percent of those who have LASIK surgery performed on them end up suffering complications. They range from disruptive ones such as halos and double vision to painful ones such as dry eye.

Although this surgery lasts only five minutes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns consumers that they should never skip meeting their doctor for a consultation before they have this procedure performed on them. They note that this meeting gives a doctor an opportunity examine a patient's eyes to see whether they have any corneal irregularities that may lead to post-op complications.

Doctors may counsel Tucson residents that suffer from pre-existing chronic dry eye or who have corneal irregularities to pursue methods of vision correction other than LASIK.

Earlier this month, many media outlets ran the story of a Detroit meteorologist who took her life after her vision deteriorated after having this surgery performed on her. Increased dryness or declines in visual acuity like she suffered can lead a patient who already suffers with depression to get worse.

An FDA panel conducted a survey of 500 LASIK patients in 2017. They inquired about their post-operative experiences. They found that only two percent of patients experience complications and that most of them completely dissipate within six months after the surgery takes place.

Individuals in Arizona who have residual pain or visual impairments outside of this time frame may be advised by a medical malpractice attorney of their right to sue their doctor for negligence.

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