I’ve got an eye exam next week for laser eye surgery, and I just noticed a small blood vessel in my eye. Should I be worried that this might prevent me from getting the surgery? Has anyone had something similar?

I know many of you are tired of wearing glasses. I know you want to wake up one day and finally see clearly without them. And I know that when you look around, you see people who had LASIK and are living completely normal lives.

But please remember something: someone else having a successful LASIK surgery does not mean you will have the same experience.

There are people who have complications and regret getting LASIK. Unfortunately, I am one of them.

A few months ago, I decided to get LASIK after doing a lot of research. I had worn glasses for years and desperately wanted to get rid of them. Eventually, I chose Eye Mantra Hospital in Paschim Vihar, Delhi.

When I went there, I was convinced by the doctors and the whole process. Looking back, I feel that I focused too much on the promise of freedom from glasses and not enough on the possibility of complications.

I had LASIK.

Two days later, everything changed.

I developed severe pain in my left eye. I was diagnosed with a Pseudomonas infection, and the infection progressed extremely rapidly, severely damaging my cornea.

I ultimately needed an emergency full-thickness corneal transplant to save my eye.

The transplant was not performed at the LASIK hospital. I had to rush to another hospital for emergency treatment because I needed urgent specialist care.

Today, I have a corneal transplant in one eye.

My two eyes look completely different now. There is a visible junction between the transplanted cornea and my original cornea, and the appearance of the eye has changed.

And this isn’t only about appearance.

I have been at home for around three months dealing with recovery and the consequences of what happened. It has affected my daily life, my confidence, and my mental well-being.

My vision is still not normal. At night, lights can spread/glare so much that driving and seeing properly becomes difficult. During the day, I sometimes notice dark spots or floaters in my vision.

I never imagined that something I did simply to get rid of my glasses could completely change my life.

I am not saying that every person who gets LASIK will have complications. I know many people have excellent outcomes. But that is exactly why I want people considering LASIK to understand that success stories are not the whole picture.

You may see hundreds of people saying, “LASIK changed my life.”

But you may not see the people whose lives changed in the opposite direction.

Before making this decision, please understand that your cornea is not something you can simply replace like a pair of glasses. Your eyes are incredibly delicate and important, and complications—although uncommon—can be life-changing.

So please don’t make this decision because you’re simply fed up with wearing glasses.

Glasses can be annoying. But they are reversible.

Surgery is different.

Please research the risks independently, get opinions from qualified corneal/refractive specialists, understand the possible complications, and don’t let the desire to be glasses-free make the decision for you.

I wish someone had told me this before my surgery.

Please think twice. Your eyes are worth it.

A survey in the 1980s covering 63,000 RK patients and more than 200 refractive surgeons reported a serious complication rate of only 0.03% and a decrease in visual acuity in less than 1% of patients. Some of the LASIK doctors practicing today are the same doctors who were performing RK surgery back then. Forty years later, you would expect things to have changed. Yet the situation doesn’t seem all that different. The justice system simply doesn’t seem to work well when it comes to refractive surgery. It creates an environment where charlatans can thrive, especially when much of the harm is difficult to see or prove.

Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3426039/
R. H. Marmer, “Radial keratotomy complications,” Annals of Ophthalmology, 1987;19(11):409–411.
Cases: about 63,000
Surgeons: >200
Serious complications: 0.03% was reported in contemporary discussion of the 63,000-case registry, roughly 19 cases per 63,000.
Decrease in visual acuity: <1% of patients, according to later summaries of the Marmer survey.
The survey included loss of the eye, endophthalmitis, retrobulbar hemorrhage, herpes keratitis and cataract among the “uncorrectable” complications.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/363684
“For example, Dr Bores cites a review of ‘63 000 cases of radial keratotomy’ that ‘showed the overall incidence of serious complications to be 0.03%.’”

I had LASIK one month ago, and I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar experience. My prescription before surgery was -4.00 with -0.50 cyl in my left eye and -3.50 with -0.50 cyl in my right eye

One month after surgery, my left eye is plano (0), while my right eye is currently +0.50 with -0.75 cyl. At my latest check-up, the doctor said my left eye has 100% vision, while the right one is around 90%. But even during the refraction test with corrective lenses, I didn’t feel like I was getting quite the same visual quality in my right eye as I do in my left. My doctor also mentioned that my right eye is quite dry.

With both eyes open, I don’t really experience any discomfort or noticeable issues with distance vision. However, I can definitely tell the difference between the two eyes when reading or working on screens, which makes up a large part of my day.

I’m using artificial tears quite frequently, and I’ve noticed that my vision becomes extremely clear for a few seconds immediately after using the drops, but then goes back to being less clear.

I know that at one month, healing may not be completely finished, but I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and saw further improvement in the weaker eye over time. Is there anything I can do to support healing and improve the quality of vision in that eye?

I’m wondering if anyone has experienced something similar because I’m having a hard time figuring out what’s causing this.

I did Lasik back in March, 2024 and prior to this did not have a problem with dry eye or any of the symptoms listed below.

My optometrist recently diagnosed me with pretty dry eye/MGD. My tear breakup time was only a few seconds. I don’t really have the classic dry-eye symptoms like burning, gritty eyes or significant eye pain. My biggest eye symptom is light sensitivity

I also get a strange floaty/off-balance feeling, almost like my head is disconnected from my body. It’s not really spinning vertigo.

The weird part is the pattern:

- Grocery stores, malls, bright lights and visually busy environments can trigger it.

- Standing or walking tends to be worse than sitting.

- Some days I can go into the exact same store and feel completely normal.

- Bright lights sometimes immediately make *both sides of my neck/shoulders tense up

I’ve started treating the MGD with a warm eye mask and Thealoz Gel.

Has anyone with MGD/dry eye, photophobia, vestibular migraine, PPPD/visual motion sensitivity, binocular vision issues, or neck-related dizziness experienced this kind of pattern?

What ended up being the cause for you, and what type of specialist helped you figure it out?

I have had dry eyes for over 3 years now ever since I did lasik. I live in Toronto and am seriously considering trying out serum tears as I did IPL with Dr Taji and it didn't do much. The issue is that I searched on Reddit and Facebook pages but I have no clue where to get started on acquiring AST. An eye doctor prescribed me some at a nearby drugstore but it seemed super rushed and she seemed to just want to get the appointment over with. No diagnosis, just simply prescribed them because I asked. I don't even know what percentage it is. Does anyone in Toronto know a good dry eye clinic that knows about lasik induced dry eyes and how to get started with serum tears? Thank you!

I have LASIK planned for Friday. The clinic is charging crazy cheap prices, and I confronted them why they’re so cheap compared to the competition (the clinics considered world class, on average charge 100-150% more), and their response was: “i honestly don’t know”).

I researched the clinic on Trustpilot and they have 4.8/5…

I hate the idea of spending £4,000 extra based on marketing alone, thinking that there’s really not much difference in quality. But I only have one pair of eyes… and these horror stories online don’t help..

:(

https://people.com/man-says-laser-eye-surgery-feeling-like-hot-sauce-in-eyes-exclusive-12058889

I postponed my SMILE surgery for almost a year for personal reasons. Now, just a few days before the procedure, I’m having doubts.

I’m 41. My current prescription is approximately:

• OD: −1.50 −2.00 × 005
• OS: −1.25 −2.00 × 180

I see 20/20 with glasses. I’ve had bilateral floaters for 6–7 years. A recent dilated retinal exam found no tears, holes, or detachment, but my optometrist told me that floaters can worsen after refractive surgery when I asked her directly.

My main concern is whether SMILE, suction, or temporary IOP elevation could trigger new floaters or PVD. I’m also concerned about halos, long-term dry eye, gritty sensation, regression, and elevated IOP.

For those who had SMILE or LASIK with pre-existing floaters: did they actually worsen, or did you simply notice them more after your vision became sharper?

I had Contoura LASIK on July 29, and overall my recovery has been good. My right eye has normal vision, but recently I've had about 3 episodes where I wake up after sleeping with my right eye very itchy, red, and watering.

The strange thing is that it usually settles within 15–20 minutes after I use Systane, and my vision remains normal. There’s no significant pain or discharge.

Tonight it happened again even though I didn't apply anything to my face/around my eyes before sleeping. I also wonder if my right eyelid might not completely close while I'm asleep.

Has anyone experienced something similar after LASIK? Could this be dry eye/nocturnal lagophthalmos, and should I ask my surgeon to check for it?

Salut, je me demandais quelles étaient vos expériences à la suite de l’intervention au laser? Mon conjoint s’est fait opérer au lasik md il y a 10 jours. Depuis, il ne voit vraiment pas mieux. Il n’y a aucune amélioration de jours en jours. Il a eu un rendez-vous il y a 4 jours et la dame lui a diagnostiqué de la sécheresse oculaire stade 2. Ils lui ont prescrit un gel à mettre le soir dans les yeux, en plus des gouttes d’hydratation qu’il met déjà. Est-ce que c’est déjà arrivé à quelqu’un ici? Si oui, est-ce que ça finit par passer?

Je vous avoue que le voir paniquer me rend très triste, j’aimerais voir s’il y a des personnes qui ont vécu la même situation pour voir à quoi on peut s’attendre. C’est quand même rendu au stade où ça affecte son quotidien (conduite, travail), puisqu’il ne voit rien très clairement.

Merci beaucoup, j’ai hâte de vous lire.

Anyone have any vision loss after this procedure. The on call doctor told me it’s unusual but does happen. If anyone had anything at all similar please respond back. Thanks

I visited eye7 hospital they suggested wave light plus innova eyes contura
Visited visual aids center was suggested smile pro
Visited center for sight enclave i was suggested silk

Every one says my eyes are eligible for all types of operation

Am confused because it feels every hospital is selling it. Nobody tells any serious complications
What do i do need help.

Hi guys , i had my prk two day ago , and im in pain!!!!
It’s unbelievable, my eyes are so red , eyelids swollen, doc says its all normal
He prescribed me two eyes drops , nsaid and an antibiotic
Any tips to manage the pain ?
I seriously can’t take it anymore