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.