LASIK Patient Advocacy Network
The purpose of this cause is raise awareness of problems and risks of LASIK surgery, and to serve as an advocate on behalf of LASIK patients. Learn More
Cause Bulletin
Lasik's blurry vision - http://www.salon.com/life/elective_surgery/index.html?story=/mwt
Lasik's blurry vision Side effects continue to plague patients like me. Now, as the FDA investigates, one expert admits, "We screwed up" By Abby Ellin Jan. 26, 2010 | The other day I got a prescription for eyeglasses. This is not newsworthy in itself except for one thing: More than two and a half years ago I had L… Read More
Recent Cause Activity
Nakagawara, V.B., Montgomery, R.W., and Wood, K.J. The Aviation Accident Experience of Civilian Airmen With Refractive Surgery. June 2002
Sponsored by Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation
Excerpts:
The accident rates for airmen with refractive surgery were higher than those of non-refractive surgery
airmen within each class of medical certification and as a total group...The report narratives revealed only three references to visual difficulties. One report described the aircraft striking an unattended baggage cart while taxiing at night on a poorly-lit parking ramp. A second accident was a midair collision in which both pilots reportedly failed to “see-and-avoid” one another. (Note: The other pilot involved in this accident did not have refractive surgery.) The third accident occurred as the pilot attempted to land on a section of beach that he thought was wet sand, which was actually a 6 to 8-inch deep pool of water... If concerns regarding laser refractive procedures prove prophetic, it can have a severe impact on the visual performance of pilots and aviation safety in the future... Subjective complaints following refractive surgery include reduced contrast sensitivity, increased glare sensitivity, and the loss of best-corrected visual acuity. Some patients, who report seeing well in normal room lighting conditions, have found night driving to be difficult or impossible due to aberrations (i.e., halos, starbursts, and ghost images) from street lights, traffic lights, and oncoming headlights. http://www.leftseat.com/pdffiles/FAAR...
Docs seek to stifle patients’ rants on Web sites.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34794632/...
TLC Vision Being Sued By Another Hurt LASIK Patient:
http://www.leagle.com/unsecure/page.h...
This morning on National Public Radio (NPR)...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...
From the People.com archives: Blindsided [by LASIK]
http://www.people.com/people/archive/...,,20137216,00.html
LasikPlus volumes continue to plunge.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireSt...
Please visit my new webpage -- it's a work in progress. http://www.lasikcomplications.com/las...
Quote: "Treating myopia with corneal surgery is like treating obesity with liposuction. Corneal surgery is an elective procedure that carries the risk of serious and permanent complications. High tech may be glamorous, but it is not always the best medicine." JULIE RALLS, M.D.
You know Big Tobacco, now meet Big LASIK.
http://www.lasiknewswire.com/2009/02/...
Hi everybody!
I hope it helps everyone to join this cause...
I had a LASIK surgery myself in 2003, and my left eye is still not fixed, waiting for a cross-linking at the moment...
I'm a bit surprised the problem hasn't been discussed yet in France, so I'm following the US and Canadian reports on the subject!
Thanks again
Swiss Tag Heuer Drops Tiger Woods USA Ads Announced Today:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/cana...
December 16th, 2009: Tiger Wood's Doctor's Doping Scandal Gets Scrutinized:
http://www.theweek.com/article/index/...
Tiger Wood's TLC LASIK Vision Receives NASDAQ Delisting Letter:
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/n...
Awww...poor babies are losing money and getting a dose of reality awaiting them in 2010!~
Read specifically paragraph 26, stating that her LASIK doctor committed "BATTERY" on her, the patient, was found guilty of falsifying her medical charts, violating the Hippocratic Oath, and committing perjury for lying to her. Yet why isn't this on the news, Tiger's LASIK doctor should have been in jail for having done this, and a message would have been sent ...
Read Tiger Wood's Ex-Girlfriend's (Kashmira Karanjia, Tampa, FL) LASIK Lawsuit Filed Against Dr. Mark Whitten of TLC Vision For Permanently Ruined Vision, Having Gone Right After Tiger, The Same Day: http://www.lasikfraud.com/lawsuits/ka...
Think LASIK is safe even in 2010? Think again. These are the latest patient filings into the FDA's Medwatch internal reporting system so the FDA can scrutinize a drug or medical device. Just listen to what the hurt LASIK patients are saying:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
I had lasik in 2006 and since the surgery, i continue to have dry eyes, and occasionally my eyes are red almost look like the pink eye. I recently was diagnosed with corneal erosion of the eye flap and was instructed by my eye doctor to return to the lasik doctor for further treatment. The physician at the lasik facility stated that it was a small erosion and i should not be worried and to follow-up in 3 months. The redness occurred a few years ago, and i did not know why and now i do. Lasik plus.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
Halos, double vision, slow vision. After lasik surgery was performed i began seeing halos and experiencing double vision after dark. Although follow up tests have rated my vision as 20/20 or 20/25, it sometimes takes several seconds to determine the answer when i take the vision test. Although i can see well, these vision issues are noticeable at night. These symptoms -slow vision, double vision, and halos- are only a problem in one eye. I manage by closing that eye when needed or wearing an eye patch when needed.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
I had lasik performed in 2006, and had 20/20 vision, but within a year, i had 20/50 in my right eye and i asked for them to perform lasik again in my right eye, which they did the following year. Right after the first surgery, for that 15 months, i had slight dry eye, but really no problems. All the problems began after they performed the second surgery. Since then i have had severe dry eye -i take restatis and lotomox twice a day- and in 2008, the doctor scraped extra epithelial cells from my right lens since they had not stopped growing where the cut had been made in the lens. I am still having this problem and the doctor thinks i might have to go in and have the cells scraped again, but i am not looking forward to it. Sometimes the pain is so intense from the dry eyes that i cannot see well, my vision is 20/30 and i am constantly using systane to drop my eyes. I have a very good doctor, and i know that he wants to do what is best for me, but my eyes are just not responding the way they thought they would. If i had known that this is what i would have to live with for the rest of my life, i would have just kept my glasses - i am so upset at my own vanity for having elected to have this done - but if there are more people out there like me, may be something could be done to make people more aware of the possible problems with lasik - it is a hell of a lot more than "may be a few months of dry eyes" which they told me would be the worse thing to happen after lasik. " lasik surgery on left and right eyes - 2006. Lasik surgery on right eye - 2007. Removal of epithelial cells on right eye - 2008.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
Complications from intralase/wavefront lasik. Constant eyestrain, light sensitivity, loss of contrast sensitivity, eye pain, decreased quality of vision despite being "20/20". Upset about the type of advertising and lack of objectiveness of doctors in this area. Would love to see a mandatory unbiased second opinion for anyone considering lasik.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
I had lasik in 2003 and am having burning, itching, grit in the eye sensation and pain in my eyes [they actually ache sometimes], which seems to be getting worse. I can see alright, but i am constantly putting drops in my eyes to alleviate symptoms; drops work about 50-75% of the time. I do have allergies, and sometimes i don't know if its my allergies or just dryness.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
When lasik surgery is performed and an excellent result occurs somewhere down the line the pt will develop cataracts. Currently the implant target error ratio is about 96% accurate for people who have not had lasik. When they do have lasik their implant target error ratio goes down to 80% accuracy if all corneal tissue loss is accounted for as well as refractive error caused by the cataract is understood. All pts need to have their preoperative keratometer readings, preoperative refractions and their post op info 3-6 months after laser once the eye has stabilized. This is also true for pts who have had radial keratometry surgery as well. There are needs to be a public alert to get these records so that they are not destroyed. Currently i think after 7 years they are destroyed. Please encourage lasik pts to get this info to aide in their future need for cataract surgery as you put this study together! if they have lasik surgery in their 20's, 30's or 40's they could be at higher risk of needed further lasik surgery or intraocular lens exchanges following the cataract procedure.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
I had a lot of eye surgeries starting in 1991 with rk then laser and continued on with lasik first in 2003 in both eyes and then repeated again in 2005. This caused unstable corneas and also led to having a corneal transplant on the right eye they said due to scarring. I also now have fluctuating corneas from the lasik and can't get good vision. We have tried hard contacts but can't tolerate due to dry eye because of the lasik. I have not have a problem with the transplant other than not getting good vision. I have been told as recent as 8 months ago that i could have the left eye transplant done whenever i was ready, which is insane since my eye sight is worst in the right eye than the left even though nobody understands how i can see thru all the scarring. I have also had cataract surgery on both eyes due to early development probably due to excessive use of the steroid drops for all the eye surgeries. I have been living with this for 18 years and no doctor can help but to tell me about the new procedures on the horizon. My best corrected vision fluctuates between 20/60 and 20/100.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
Lasik surgery. No specific adverse event date. See info contained herein. Ghosting. After lasik surgery, eyesight was about 20/20 and 20/30, ghosting double in one eye and ghosting triple in the other. Ghosting was not disclosed as a potential side effect, and i never even heard that term until i read a article published after my surgery. -surgery was in 2001, i believe. Regression. Within about six months, my eyesight had regressed to about 20-80 and 20-200, and has continued to regress. Regression was never disclosed as a potential problem/side effect. Dry eye syndrome. An optometrist inserted punctal plugs and lutien supplements were taken. While the goal was to leave enough cornea for an enhancement, the post-lasik corneas were judged to be too steep for an enhancement. Furthermore, a second surgery probably would result in regression, leaving even thinner, dryer corneas. Treatment for dry eyes did not increase corneal thickness enough for an enhancement. Today, i use contact lenses to correct myopia and astigmatism; they are multi-focal lenses. I cannot use the contact lenses that are hard-centered and soft-rimmed, since they inflamed the lasik-rim on my cornea. Currently, eyesight is not completely corrected, and there are halos/starbursts and ghosting with contact lenses. The lasik surgeon was one of the most-experienced and most-recommended lasik surgeons. He was one of the original 13 fda researchers for lasik. Dates of use: 2001. Diagnosis: myopia; astigmatism. Lasik surgery, date was 2001, i will give permission to obtain post-surgery info from ophthalmologist and optometrists if it helps folks in the future.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
A dr has botched my lasik procedure resulting in two difference injuries. He has also falsified my medical records via change in dates and omission of info, in order to falsify the order of events and his subsequent culpability for the injury-s-. Dr left a fold in the flap of my right eye, resulting in a vertical "crease" in my vision, and pressure in my right eye. He either did not have the proper equipment, or did not know how to use the equipment to perform a flap lift and re-set, in order to remove the fold. I suspect that he does not know how to do a flap lift/stretch and re-set, because he does not schedule one-day-after appointments for his lasik patients -he performs lasik on fridays, with follow-up the following week at approx day 4-. Dr also does not know how to properly assess flap folds, because he severely under-estimated the injury in his notes. After his apathetic, regarding my poor visual quality, and my numerous complains, he finally referred me to another facility, where my injury required a flap lift and suture at 7 weeks post-op. Immediately before my appointment, dr abruptly cancelled my appointment and "dismissed" me form his office -those are the terms his office personnel uses-, therefore, i have not seen dr since 2008. Dr carved my eyes each to see something different; which has permanently impaired my binocular vision. Ghosting exists in both eyes, with light spraying outward to the left in my left eye, and to the right in my right eye. Note that the prescription appears correct, however, the carving / curvature of my corneas is obviously wrong, resulting in extreme distortion in my vision. Corrective measures attempted: i have attempted a glasses prescription to correct this error -did not work. Another dr, is reluctant to do anything else, because i am able to read the eye chart -prescription correct, visual quality. Dr(third), is suggesting catz prk, which is currently not fda approved, and only available outside the u. S. Is there a problem with this laser. Why is it being used incorrectly? dose or amount: not known, frequency: not known, route: unk. Diagnosis or reason for use: lasik in 2008.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
Lasik procedure exams on both eyes in 2002. I needed glasses as i could not see anything well -road signs etc- distances. I decided to check out the lasik procedure. I was told that i would love the outcome, etc. I was told that my near perfect close up sight may be affected but that would happen as i grow older anyway. Although immediately i could see very well distances, my up close vision was bad. When i went to follow up i was told that it would get better and better. My up close vision is horrible! i am now experiencing headaches; extreme difficulty seeing anything up close, need "readers" continuously. I experience moderate to severe dry eye, itching, burning and redness daily.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
I had lasik surgery performed in the year of 2000 at the age of 51. It took an entire year for my eyes to truly settle in to their new vision. The past summer, i have been diagnosed with dry macular degeneration and very small cataracts. I have very blurred vision. Macular degeneration does not run in my large family and only my mother has had cataracts -she had surgery on them this past summer-. I have extreme dry eye in the mornings and have had morning dry eye ever since my lasik surgery. Now that i have to wear gas perm contacts, the dry eye in the mornings is really bad. With an almost negative family history of cataracts and a negative family history of macular degeneration, i can't help but wonder if the lasik surgery has anything to do with these problems.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
Extreme dry eye - often unable to open eyes in morning without excruciating pain. Dose or amount: unknown. Dates of use: 2007 - 2008. Diagnosis or reason for use: reduce dependency on glasses/contact lense for left. Event abated after use stopped or dose reduced?: no. Unknown laser used to perform epilasik treatment; left eye treated in 2007, right eye treated in 2008.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
I had lasik in both eyes in 2006. Was told by my doctor i was a candidate and that i would be fine. I was lied to after i came out seeing like a freak, that it was just overcorrection, however, my world was messed up looking, i was walking on a crooked floor, people's faces looked liked stretched trolls, and the walls were falling on me. I was scared to death, and after 2nd opinion, meaning about 10 opinions, and yelled at, and treated like crap, etc. Etc. I finally learned that i was permanently damaged and there was no help for me. This no quality life and since that time, i've met so many and heard of so many people's lives who have been ruined like mine. I see a ghostly lines around all people and all things day and night. It's a freak world. You need to stop lasik. Everyone "i" who had it and came through fine initially are now having problems. Can't see at night, increased starbursts and halos -of course i still have those day and night, too- and some who had to have corneal transplants and now are blind in that eye. You would have not idea how hard it is to live life scared about the world you are in every day. On top of that, i am very upset to see that no communication is made between doctors, because there is less than a handful that at least care enough to work diligently in making special contacts to at least help a person. All other doctors say, nope, can't do a thing, and just turn you out to nothing, but maybe their friend who's a corneal specialist just so he can take your money, too. Knowing they can't do anything, but surely can see you to take your money. This entire lasik is money driven and that is sinful, in my opinion, because it hurts every pt, if not now, later. My life has been ruined by lasik. Getting up every day is not the same joy it was before lasik and is a struggle. They advertise lasik like you're getting your hair cut. Go in, come out seeing perfect. That's how it was presented to me, and they still have commercials on tv saying the same thing. You need to stop lasik. This is a lifelong disability that has robbed me of the joy and beatuy of this world and my surroundings, including my home and family and friends, of which i will never see normal again.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts...
I had the lasik surgery one year and a half ago, i'm suffering from dry eyes, problem seeing especially at night too; sensitive eyes, and pain in my eyes day and night. My vision changed within a year from 20/20, now i have incorrect vision, i need glasses again. I do not recommend this surgery to anybody. I never had any kind of problem with my eyes before, except i had to were glasses while i was driving.
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