As with any type of surgery, when considering Lasik eye surgery, there are a number of risks to bear in mind. Patients considering Lasik surgery should speak with one or more doctors and learn about each potential risk. Before deciding on the surgery, patients should weigh the risks and the benefits and find out if Lasik surgery is really worth it to them.

Risks
• Loss of vision. Some patients lose lines of vision on the vision chart that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery as a result of treatment.
• Some patients develop debilitating visual symptoms. Some patients develop glare, halos, and/or double vision that can seriously affect nighttime vision.
• You may be under treated or over treated. Only a certain percent of patients achieve 20/20 vision without glasses or contacts. You may require additional treatment, but additional treatment may not be possible. You may still need glasses or contact lenses after surgery.
• Some patients may develop severe dry eye syndrome. As a result of surgery, your eye may not be able to produce enough tears to keep the eye moist and comfortable.
• Results are generally not as good in patients with very large refractive errors of any type. Patients must understand that they may still require glasses or contacts after the surgery.
• For some farsighted patients, results may diminish with age. If you are farsighted, the level of improved vision you experience after surgery may decrease with age.
• LASIK is a somewhat new technology. The first laser was approved for LASIK eye surgery in 1998. Therefore, the long-term safety and effectiveness of LASIK surgery is not known.