If you’re looking to improve your vision and are considering undergoing LASIK surgery, you need to know the highlights and the downfalls to having the procedure done. Not only is it important for you to familiarize yourself with all the possible side effects so that you know what to expect once the procedure is completed, but also because there have already been 11 people who have committed suicide “after expressing complaints about LASIK eye surgery,” according to BET. Jessica Starr, who was a meteorologist at a local station in Detroit, was that 11th person and she was recently found hanged after undergoing the LASIK Smile Eye surgery.
The 35-year-old mother of two recently decided to undergo LASIK surgery and took a few weeks off of work to recover. But after several weeks had passed, she expressed that she was “eager to get back to her old life.” In mid-November, she took to Facebook where she posted a live video revealing the struggle she had been going through with “dry eyes and extremely foggy vision.” In the video, she explained that she had a “tad of dry eyes” which causes her to have to use a lot of drops. But when she applied the drops, she would only have “clear” vision for a short period of time and it would eventually become foggy again.
A day after she posted that video, she tweeted her “last interaction with the public.”
Back in October, Paul Fitzgerald, 54, took his own life after he experienced “intense pain caused by a badly performed laser eye surgery he had 20 years prior.” In his suicide note that was recovered, he stated, “I cannot experience any type of pleasure anymore. Just the pain of burning eyes inside my head and throughout myself…Since 1996 pain, pain and more pain, please forgive me for not being strong enough to cope.” Although not every LASIK eye surgery procedure will result in complications, there are a handful that do which is why we are sharing with you WebMD’s list of rewards and the risks of having the procedure done.
Rewards of Undergoing LASIK Surgery
- The source cites that “in general, the success rate of LASIK is exceptionally high, especially for an elective surgery. Success is typically defined by quality of vision and patient satisfaction. LASIK weighs in at 96% satisfaction, according to the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.”
- LASIK generally takes about 15 minutes or less to perform.
- LASIK can help individuals save on the expensive cost associated with purchasing contact lenses and it can even allow them to get rid of their glasses.
- “94% to 100% of myopia patients get 20/40 vision or better.”
- “3% to 10% of all patients need another surgery.”
Risks Associated with Having LASIK Surgery Done
- It can take an individual up to 6 months for their eyes to “reach peak clarity and for some of the side effects to go away.”
- Patients might feel burning, itching, and discomfort for a few days having the procedure performed.
- “According to the FDA, since the surgery is still relatively new, its long-term results are unknown.”
- You might experience nerve damage and inflammation.
- You could experience harmful complications that may never go away, including dry eyes, starbursts, and cornea damage.
- You may still need glasses even after you have the surgery performed if the surgeon over-corrects or under-corrects your vision.
- Some patients suffer from a reduction in vision after undergoing LASIK while others lose the ability to see, although this is a rare complication.
It is important that you not only take the information provided above into consideration but also do your own research before committing to having the procedure done. WebMD states that “the FDA has no rules on what information patients must be told or what must be disclosed in a consultation” so it is up to you to learn all that can about the LASIK procedure and meet with several surgeons before settling on one.
What if I experienced a complication following my LASIK eye surgery?
If you have found that your LASIK eye procedure has led to you suffering from one or more complications, contact Jackson, MS personal injury attorney William E. Ballard. Although your options may be limited, you may be able to take some sort of action against the doctor if it can be proven that he/she made a mistake or was negligent while performing the procedure. In order to determine what form of legal action you are permitted to take, contact our office at 769-572-5111 to schedule an initial consultation.
You can reach Ballard Law, PLLC. at:
108 S. President Street
Jackson, MS 39201
769-572-5111
