Letter to the Editor
Happy LASIK patients may not realize or acknowledge the harm they suffered from LASIK for years; nonetheless, the damage is there. Medical research demonstrates (a) that the LASIK flap never heals and may be accidentally dislodged for the rest of a patient's lifetime, (b) that the cornea is permanently weakened and may develop ectasia weeks, months, or years later, leading to vision loss, (c) that corneal nerves which stimulate tear production are severed and destroyed during LASIK, and that these nerves never fully recover -- potentially leading to permanent dry eye disease, (d) that having LASIK causes problems in the future for glaucoma screening and cataract surgery -- prompting the FDA to recommend that LASIK patients obtain a copy of their LASIK medical record, (e) persistent decrease in corneal cells (keratocytes) -- it is unknown how this decrease affects long-term viability of the cornea, and (f) that visual quality at night is permanently reduced after LASIK, even when the patient has 20/20 or better daytime vision. To add insult to injury, visual outcomes of LASIK decline over time. "LASIK success" is like saying "the surgery was a success but the patient died".
