Risks of Laser Eye Surgery: Femto LASIK and TransPRK

Laser eye surgery is a safe option for long-term correction of visual impairment. However, like any other medical procedure, it still carries some risks and can have side effects.

The most common side effects include:

• Dry eyes: Many patients find that their eyes feel drier after refractive laser surgery, they have reduced tear production, and therefore need to use artificial tears more regularly to soothe their eyes. This problem usually subsides within a few weeks to months.

• Increased light sensitivity: After laser treatment, increased light sensitivity may also occur, such as sensitivity to glare from oncoming headlights when driving in the dark. However, these complaints are usually temporary.

• Foreign body sensation in the eye: Slight discomfort and the feeling of a grain of sand in the eye the next day is one of the more common side effects after laser eye treatment. Artificial tears can help relieve the discomfort. However, these usually subside within a short time.

• Fluctuating vision: In the days (weeks for TransPRK) after treatment, there may be temporary fluctuating vision until vision stabilizes. Taking eye drops can also lead to fluctuating or milky vision.

• Red eyes: After treatment, red spots may be visible in the white area of the eye - these usually disappear after a few weeks to a few months. In addition to redness, burning, watery, or swollen eyes may also occur.

• Pain: Depending on the treatment method and individual pain sensitivity, pain may occur. Especially after TransPRK, which is associated with a longer healing process, severe pain also occurs in the first 3-5 days after treatment as the corneal epithelium needs to regrow.

Other potential side effects that may occur in rare cases:

• Infection or inflammation: As with any surgical procedure, there is a risk of eye infections or inflammation, although this is rare. It is important to follow hygiene measures and attend follow-up appointments. The prescribed eye drops should also be used after treatment according to the drop schedule to best prevent infection or inflammation. If an infection or inflammation is not treated with appropriate medication, in the worst case, it can lead to complete blindness.

• Complications with the flap (with LASIK): Even though the femtosecond laser works extremely precisely, in rare cases, complications with the flap can occur. For example, it can shift due to careless eye rubbing and not heal optimally. In this case, retreatment of the eye may be necessary to reposition the flap correctly.

• Over- or under-correction: In some cases, the desired vision may not be achieved. This may require retreatment (only possible after 6 months).

• Risk of regression: In some cases, vision correction may deteriorate again after a few months or years. This can particularly affect people with pre-existing higher visual impairments. It's important to differentiate this from presbyopia.

In most cases, the described risks and complications can be treated with retreatment or appropriate medications. It is important that a thorough preliminary examination takes place to determine if someone is a suitable candidate for laser eye surgery and to minimize these risks.