Lasik Complications

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LASIK permanently thins and weakens the cornea, which may lead to progressive steepening or bulging (ectasia) of the cornea with associated deterioration of vision.

JULY, 2016: A press release issued by Avedro, a company that sells a drug-device treatment for post-Lasik ectasia, states, "The incidence of corneal ectasia following refractive surgery [Lasik] is estimated to affect approximately 160,000 patients in the United States, qualifying it as an orphan disease." Link to press release

“Post-LASIK corneal ectasia is one of the most troublesome complications after LASIK,” Dr. Seitz said. “Its incidence has been reported to be between 0.04% and 0.6%. It can occur several months or even years after laser surgery." Source: Stefanie Petrou Binder, MD. Intracorneal ring segments and ectasia. EyeWorld. January 2019. Pg.38-39.

"Ectatic changes can occur as early as 1 week after LASIK, or they can be delayed up to several years after the initial procedure. In many cases, [corneal transplant] is eventually performed to manage this complication... The continuously growing popularity of refractive surgery procedures, namely LASIK, has caused increased concern regarding the serious complication of keratectasia." (Meghpara et al, 2008)

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Learn about corneal collagen crosslinking treatment for post-LASIK ectasia

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to the failure of LASIK surgeons to report LASIK complications as required by federal law, patients who experience ectasia (keratoconus) after LASIK should file a MedWatch report with the FDA online. Alternatively, you may call FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 to report by telephone, download the paper form and either fax it to 1-800-FDA-0178 or mail it to the address shown at the bottom of page 3, or download the MedWatcher Mobile App for reporting LASIK problems to the FDA using a smart phone or tablet. You should file a report even if your LASIK procedure was many years ago.