In Memory of Colin Dorrian

Welcome to LASIKComplications.com

Thank you for visiting this website. The information contained on this site is presented for the purpose of warning people about LASIK risks, side effects and complications prior to surgery. LASIK patients experiencing problems should seek the advice of a physician. If you believe that patients have a right to be fully informed, tell all of your glasses-wearing friends and family members about this site.

Top Ten Reasons Not to Have LASIK Surgery

Top Ten Reasons Not to Have LASIKIf you're considering LASIK, you've probably heard a lot about the supposed benefits of the surgery. But what about the risks and long-term consequences? Before you risk your eyesight, read Top Ten Reasons Not to Have LASIK
Surgery
. Our advice: Keep your glasses!

On Facebook?

Join the LASIK Patient Advocacy Network. Founded by Scott Tolchin, the cause seeks to raise awareness of problems and risks of LASIK surgery, and to serve as an advocate on behalf of LASIK patients.

Beware of Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

When there is LASIK industry money involved, you can be sure that risks and complications are downplayed or hidden.

There are individuals and organizations on the Internet, funded by LASIK surgeons, posing as "LASIK patient advocates", "LASIK experts", or LASIK education sites. Don't be fooled by these LASIK marketing scams. Any organization that refers patients to LASIK surgeons, provides a list of LASIK surgeons, or receives money from the LASIK industry is not looking out for patients' best interest. Information on LASIK surgeon referral sites is biased and unreliable.

Patient Satisfaction After LASIK

The LASIK industry claims that most LASIK patients are happy with the outcome of their surgery. But is a "happy" patient a patient without side effects or complications? Take a closer look at patient satisfaction after LASIK...

happy with LASIK?

LasikTube - Videos of bad LASIK outcomes

LasikTubeHear stories of LASIK disasters. See television news reports of problems with LASIK. Listen to the warnings of patients who deeply regret having LASIK.


Go to LasikTube

Did Army Surgeon, Scott Barnes, Give Misleading Testimony?

Scott Barnes, MDFrom the article: "While Dr. Barnes spoke about "refractive surgery", his testimony in the context of a special hearing on LASIK implied that his arguments were in support of the LASIK procedure. Indeed, the Summary Minutes of the FDA hearing stated that, "Dr. Barnes of the Warfighter Refractive Eye Surgery Program emphasized the importance of LASIK to the military." The FDA hearing testimony of Lt. Col. Scott Barnes is inconsistent with his recent publications."

Read article

Air Force Lt. Col. Charles D. Reilly, MD:
No traumatic flap dislocations after PRK

(4/6/2009) From the article: "U.S. Air Force personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan who underwent photorefractive keratectomy suffered no traumatic flap dislocations in a 1-year period." Source.

Editor's note: Of course troops who underwent PRK suffered no flap dislocations -- there's no flap in PRK. Reilly goes on to state that post-PRK haze forced some troops to leave the theater.

Death of soldier linked to
hazy vision after PRK

From the article: One of the four shooters, Staff Sgt. Trevor Alders, had recently had PRK laser eye surgery. Although he could see two sets of hands "straight up," his vision was "hazy," he said.

Source

Post-LASIK night vision problems place Army soldiers at increased risk for injury or death

Excerpt from a 2008 Walter Reed Army Medical Center study:

"Soldiers experiencing postoperative glare, haze, and starbursts could be significantly impaired in their ability to perform nighttime duties, thereby reducing the ability to perform their military functions safely. In a worst-case scenario, postoperative impairment of night vision may lead to increased risk for injury or even death." 
Source: Jayson et al. Effect of brimonidine tartrate 0.15% on night-vision difficulty and contrast testing after refractive surgery. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2008 Sep;34(9):1538-41.

Military physician serving in Iraq: LASIK testimonial

Read the experience of a military physician who experienced complications of LASIK and witnesses first-hand the devastating impact of post-LASIK dry eyes on soldiers and marines in Iraq.

Read testimonial

Join LASIK Surgery Watch

Lasik Surgery WatchRegister with LASIK Surgery Watch, a non-profit LASIK patient advocacy organization: Every Patient Counts

Q. What do 63% of LASIK Surgery Watch members have in common? Answer

FDA Advisory Panel Chairman Rejects LASIK

Jayne Weiss, MDFrom the article: That's a big reason why Weiss, the glasses-wearing ophthalmologist, won't get Lasik even though she offers it to her patients. "I can read without my glasses and operate without my glasses, and I love that," she said. "The second aspect is I would not tolerate any risk for myself."

Read article

An Inconvenient Truth - The LASIK Report

The LASIK Report is an analysis of the peer-reviewed medical literature of LASIK. The report concludes that LASIK is an inherently harmful procedure and should be abandoned.

Excerpt: "There are permanent adverse effects of LASIK in 100% of cases, even in the absence of clinically significant complications. This is unacceptable in the context of an elective surgery when safer alternatives such as glasses or contact lenses exist."

Read The LASIK Report

"The Cool Laser Beam Gently Sculpts Your Cornea..." or so the sales pitch goes.


LASIK plume

This is an actual photo of a laser shot fired at a cornea. Looks more like a nuclear bomb, doesn't it? As it turns out, some people don't like the smell of burning flesh... Read more »

Notable Quotes

“There was evidence presented by Emory University’s Henry Edelhauser at this year’s Refractive Surgery Subspecialty Day at the Academy of Ophthalmology meeting that the LASIK flap never actually heals onto the underlying stroma, especially centrally... This was a real eye-opener for me..." Dr. John Kanellopoulos. Review of Ophthalmology 2/1/2009

"These results show that although refractive results after LASIK are relatively good in the short term, they tend to decline over time". (Zalentein et al, 2009)

"Indeed, the long-term problems created by laser refractive surgery are not yet a major issue, but soon will be". (Mantry and Shah, 2005)

Dr. Edward Boshnick: "From what I have seen and witnessed in my many patients, I feel at the present time LASIK presents a significant public health crisis." FDA hearing, April 2008.

More quotes

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO LASIK PATIENTS

If you did not receive a copy of your LASIK medical records, print this form and have it completed by your LASIK surgeon. In some states medical records may be destroyed after five years. Form

Why do I need my records? Find out here

You can contact us at...


Email address

Breaking News

6/12/2009: LASIK surgeon Philip Gabriele found dead of self-inflicted gunshot wound after being indicted on criminal charges: Read article

6/11/2009: $5.6 Million LASIK Medical Malpractice Verdict: Read press release

6/11/2009: LASIK Activist Tells GAO, IG About 20-fold Injury Excess: Read article

5/22/2009: FDA Acting Commissioner, Joshua Sharfstein, investigates LASIK patients' complaints. Source

5/21/2009: Letter sent to U.S. Congress seeking moratorium on LASIK. Source

5/19/2009: Professional golfer, Peter Lonard, having vision problems after two LASIK surgeries. Source

What's New on this site

Legal News: Deposition of LASIK defense expert, Dr. Jonathan M. Woolfson, published by plantiff's attorney. Read more on Lawsuits.

Industry News: An auditor plans to raise “going concern” about TLC Vision Corp.’s ability to continue... TLC lost $95 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. Read more on News.

New color topographies: Post-LASIK Ectasia, Corneal Transplant, Radial Keratotomy (RK).

New pages: Patient undergoes multiple surgeries after failed LASIK, Patient Letter: Post-LASIK Floaters, LASIK in the Military, Email From Grateful Reader.

Updated pages: LASIK Complaints Filed With FDA

Quote of the week

Dr. Gary Conrad, Kansas State University Biology Professor: "It was once believed that the flap would re-adhere permanently. However, the unique connective tissue of the cornea and a lack of blood vessels limit its ability to fully heal even years after the procedure." Source

Depression and Suicide after LASIK

Patients with bad outcomes after LASIK may experience diminished quality of life, depression, and thoughts of suicide.

More: LASIK-related depression and suicide »

In response to public outcry of widespread problems with LASIK, the FDA held a public meeting on April 25, 2008 to hear from a panel of experts and patients harmed by the surgery. Watch testimony of LASIK-related suicide and depression:

Gerry Dorrian tells about his son, Colin  Beth Kotsovolos talks about how LASIK affects families  Todd Krouner reports suicide of police officer  Dr. Edward Boshnick tells of suicidal patients

More FDA hearing videos »

Help for LASIK patients - LasikContactLenses.com

Dr. Edward BoshnickLasers can certainly remove corneal tissue, but no technology can replace it. LASIK is irreversible. LASIK patients may suffer permanent visual impairment which glasses and soft contact lenses cannot correct.

Is there hope? We believe there is hope with specialty contact lenses. Dr. Edward Boshnick has devoted his career to helping patients who have lost visual quality after LASIK and other forms of refractive surgery.

Go to LasikContactLenses.com

You Know Big Tobacco, Now Meet Big LASIK

• Big Tobacco said that drinking one to two glasses of whole milk a day was riskier than second-hand smoke. Big LASIK says that wearing contact lenses is riskier than having LASIK surgery.
• Big Tobacco advertised low-tar cigarettes as "the cigarette that takes the FEAR out of smoking". Big LASIK currently advertises blade-free LASIK as the technology that takes the FEAR out of LASIK.
• Big Tobacco said that "unhappiness causes cancer". Big LASIK says that patient personality factors are to blame for LASIK dissatisfaction.

Meet Big LASIK

Make Your Voice Heard!

If you experienced problems after LASIK, such as starbursts, halos, multiple images, night vision difficulty, chronic dry eyes or other complications, you should report it to the FDA: File a report

A citizen's petition asking the FDA to inspect LASIK clinics to ensure compliance with FDA's medical device adverse events reporting regulation was posted on 6/4/2009. Post a comment in support of the petition: Go to petition

The FDA is re-examining LASIK safety and has announced a new study on quality of life after LASIK. In September, 2008 the FDA opened a public docket to receive comments on LASIK. Tell the FDA about your bad experience with LASIK: Comment

Many injured LASIK patients feel they are victims of deceptive LASIK ads that imply risk-free, perfect vision without glasses. Read the FTC guidelines for LASIK advertising. File a complaint with the FTC for false or misleading advertising of LASIK. Advertising complaint

You can verify a LASIK surgeon's license to practice medicine, check for state disciplinary action, or file a complaint with your state medical board. Click here to find contact information for your state medical board: Medical Boards

20% complication rate six months after LASIK
in FDA clinical trials

From the report: "In [FDA] studies, ~15% of patients experienced night vision symptoms that were worse or significantly worse than preoperative night vision symptoms. Approximately 20% of patients experienced dryness symptoms that were worse or significantly worse than preoperative dryness." View complication table from report. Source: Bailey MD, Zadnik K. Outcomes of LASIK for myopia with FDA-approved lasers. Cornea. 2007 Apr;26(3):246-54.

Editor's note: A September 2008 update to the FDA website states, "halos, glare, night vision problems and dry eye from LASIK should be reported to FDA". Patient groups would like to know how a device with a 20% complication rate received FDA approval, despite the FDA guidance requiring an adverse event rate of <1% for approval.

The Flap Never Heals...

LASIK flap never heals Emory University researchers discover that the LASIK flap is only 2% as strong as normal cornea. Read source

"Another aspect of LASIK surgery is that during this procedure, a corneal flap is made, which will create lifelong lamellar corneal potential space." (Galal et al, 2006)

"The LASIK flap once cut may contribute little to the mechanical stability of the cornea and probably never completely adheres to the underlying stromal bed..." (O'Brart et al, 2007)

"I was in the middle of trephining a donor cornea, when it fell apart... Later, back at the eye bank, researchers examined the ruined cornea and determined that it had had LASIK."  Source

Read The Flap Never Heals

Tiger Woods, “My vision started slipping”

Tiger WoodsSeveral professional golfers have reportedly experienced problems after LASIK including Kenny Perry, Retief Goosen, Kevin Na, Paul Stankowski, Ian Leggatt, Vijay Singh, John Jacobs, Peter Lonard, and Scott Hoch.

In May, 2007, USA Today quoted Tiger Woods as saying, "My vision started slipping". The article states that Woods had a re-operation after the 2007 Masters tournament.

Padraig HarringtonGolfer, Padraig Harrington is reported to have had repeated laser eye surgeries. Source  Harrington was seen using eye drops at a tournament in Orlando, Florida on March 29, 2009.

In November, 2008, Tiger Woods' surgeon, Dr. Mark E. Whitten, was ordered by a jury to pay $850,000 in a LASIK malpractice lawsuit brought by a patient who claims permanent eye damage as a result of LASIK. Read more on News.

Editors note: This is not the first time Tiger Woods' surgeon has been sued. Read how LASIK surgery performed by Mark Whitten turned out to be a LASIK disaster for a young woman with large pupils. View lawsuit and article.

Some link depression, failed lasik by Sabine Vollmer
The News & Observer 2/3/2008

From the article: "Frustration and even sorrow can follow any unsuccessful surgery, but when the procedure leaves a patient with unremitting eye pain or permanently impaired vision, the emotional toll can be particularly severe... Scientists at the Emory Eye Center in Atlanta reviewed suicides among organ donors who had had laser eye surgery. Preliminary results suggested the suicide rate might be four times as high among cornea donors who had had lasik as among cornea donors who had not."

Read Article

What about the latest custom bladeless technology?

iLASIK / IntraLASIK / IntraLase femtosecond laser-created flap:
The latest LASIK industry hype is 'blade-free' or 'all-laser' LASIK. Beware of serious risks and complications of this technology:

Read more »

Patient damaged by latest technology testifies at April, 2008 FDA hearing. The New York Times: "Matt Kotsovolos worked for the Duke Eye Center when he had a more sophisticated Lasik procedure in 2006, and said doctors classified him as a success because he now has 20-20 vision — something Mr. Kotsovolos charged was a deceptive industry practice. “For the last two years I have suffered debilitating and unremitting eye pain,” Mr. Kotsovolos said."  Link to article

LASIK complaints reported to the FDA
by LASIK patients with bad outcomes

FDAIn 2008 FDA medical device chief Dr. Daniel Schultz said the agency needs to study the reasons for LASIK dissatisfaction. Yet, the FDA seems to ignore the complaints reported by LASIK patients. In 2008, several hundred LASIK problems were reported to the FDA. Unfortunately, most LASIK patients with complications never file a report simply because they are not aware of the FDA's consumer reporting program. We have republished some of the more recent LASIK complaints on this site. As you read the reports you'll notice a common theme -- chronic dry eyes, night vision problems, halos, and starbursts. These complications are dismissed by LASIK surgeons as "side effects" or "symptoms", even though the FDA LASIK website states: "halos, glare, night vision problems and dry eye from LASIK should be reported to FDA".

LASIK complaints

Go to the Patient Bulletin Board