POST-LASIK COMPLICATIONS

Post-LASIK ectasia is the most serious complication that we encounter, with a reported incidence of 1 in 2500 cases today. The risk factors associated with post-LASIK ectasia include deep ablation, forme fruste keratoconus, and thin corneas, although many cases have occurred with no risk factors. Decentered ablations are also a visually significant and infrequent complication of LASIK eye surgery. Decentered ablations of as little as 0.5mm can induce higher order aberrations with symptoms of ghosting, glare, blur, fluctuating vision, and loss of best corrected spectacle acuity.  With dry eye which often exacerbates following LASIK, these symptoms can leave the patient with less than functional vision during much of the day, and especially the night.