Laser Eye Correction Risks

Laser eye correction was once dubbed the new “miracle” eye surgery, promising a painless vision correction surgery. Now there are thousands of lawsuits filed each year for medical malpractice claims regarding laser eye procedures. However, laser eye correction is still the most common surgical procedure in the United States, with over one million procedures performed each year.

Laser Eye Correction Procedure
Laser eye correction is a two-step process that takes about ten minutes and can be performed with local anesthesia:

1. A thin flap on the outer layer of the cornea is peeled back
2. A laser is used to make an incision in the cornea

The Risks and Common Complications of Laser Eye Correction
As with most surgical procedures, there are risks and complications associated with laser eye correction that every patient should be aware of, especially when surgery is elective. Physicians often emphasize the “miracle” of laser surgery to restore perfect sight, failing to divulge the potential dangers.

The common complications and risks of laser eye surgery usually fall into four categories including:

• Laser malfunction
• Laser programming error
• Performing the surgery on a poor candidate
• Failure or delay in diagnosing postoperative complications

Informed Consent
All laser eye surgery candidates are supposed to sign an Informed Consent Form, stating the risks and common complications. These forms should be tailored to each individual patient’s medical history and potential candidacy for the surgery, although these forms do not release the surgeon from liability if he is negligent.