> From the report: "In [FDA] studies, ~15% of patients experienced night vision symptoms that were worse or significantly worse than preoperative night vision symptoms. Approximately 20% of patients experienced dryness symptoms that were worse or significantly worse than preoperative dryness." View complication table from report.

Says it right there?

As someone who never had any issues with my eyes, is worse night vision and/or increased dryness something that is considered "life-altering complications"?

An extremely important (and grave) misunderstanding is that "eye driness" is just a feeling of burning or similar.

Tears are a crucial part of the vision. With less tears, the eye has worse vision. So one can end in a paradoxical situation where they have a better vision in theory (and tests!), but in practice, they may see considerably worse. And there's nothing one can do - eye drops only last a short amount of time.

I had considerable eye dryness that improved over several (5+) years, which is almost entirely recovered. A couple of years ago I've tried contacts and they wouldn't hold (it wasn't the case pre-op).

The (licensed) doctor was a liar (about the risks), and they actually didn't care about me post-op.

Well I've definitely heard of cases where they needed eye drips every evening before sleep or they'd wake up in pain from dryness, which I'd say is pretty life changing. Like having a chronic disability that requires constant medication.

It can be so insanely very much worse than that

I couldn't go outside for months. I'd wear double sunglasses and a hat. I'd just cover myself completely. I couldn't open my eyes to see, it was blindly bright. I couldn't use an oven, the hot air instantly and painfully burned the moment I'd open the over door. Etc.

It's the second worse thing of my life

As others have said, it depends. What is weird to me is that the citation doesn't state whether these side effects are permanent. I also had LASIK, and did experience severe dry eye afterwards, but it went away within a month or two. I still have halos/bad vision at night, but I don't consider it life-altering. I would have the operation again in a heart beat.

Another person posted that they lost the ability to see stars due to visual aberrations. That’s really sad. And it’s not uncommon, apparently.

They also mentioned they ignored potential red flags and didn't follow correct post-op care, so blaming the technique seems like barking up the wrong tree

People seem to google "lasik best prices" then wonder why their experience sucks?

Don't go for the first google links when researching something, avoid sensationalistic BS

The question had nothing to do with that. It was whether LASIK can have life-altering complications. The answer is Yes.

But to your point: I will assume the HN who posted here was smart, and that the procedure was performed by a licensed professional within a standard risk profile, using equipment that was functioning as expected.

"Can $procedure have life-altering complications?" Yes, every procedure has a non zero chance of having complications. Yes even stuff at your dentist, or having a mole taken out etc.

> within a standard risk profile

Well, not following post-op guidelines takes it out of the risk profile, still, it is good to have a second opinion and understanding the risks for your case

> laser used had a smaller diameter than my lenses

Given that it was 20 yrs ago it is possible that this was an effect that was not well known and it is better controlled today.

It is very possible that this result would have been better with modern equipment and techniques (especially if this was not bladeless Lasik) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31353955/

> Given that it was 20 yrs ago it is possible that this was an effect that was not well known and it is better controlled today.

This was known at the time. If you think about it, it's an obvious effect if you can't correct all of the surface that will admit light in. I had a great outcome with my eye surgery from around that time, with my vision needing no correction for 20 years now. However I distinctly recall the doctor saying that if some features were a bit wider (iirc iris), then his equipment wouldn't be viable for me. I feel strongly that the poster who had this situation had an unethical doctor.

I know the plural of anecdote isn't data, but I question those numbers.

I know lots of people who've gotten LASIK or PRK, and nobody I know personally has regretted it. I only see the horror stories online.

I myself have gotten LASIK, and have had no issues outside the original healing period, except a slight tendency towards dry eyes in the morning, but it's mild.

Eye surgery happens in such large quantities that the small percentages of edge cases will keep coming up. I have for e.g. met someone who got lasik whose cornea was thinned enough that it resulted in keratoconus and needing corneal transplants to even see. That is very uncommon but is apparently possible