Anyone considering this procedure should take the time to go over all of the risks and make sure they understand them completely, just in case complications do arise. Some of the most common risks associated with laser surgery are listed below along with a brief description.

Laser eye surgery for astigmatism risks:

• Infection is always a possibility with any type of surgery. You will be given antibiotics after the procedure but if an infection of the cornea occurs anyway, it could lead to permanent vision loss or a second surgery may be necessary.

• You should be aware that it’s a possibility you’ll still need to wear glasses after the surgery for a variety of different reasons.

• Over-correction happens when the treatment corrects more of the problem than what was needed to have perfect vision. This could cause your far and close range vision to be blurry. Enhancement treatment may be needed if this occurs or you may need to wear glasses.

• Under-correction happens when not enough of the prescription was corrected and this usually results in the patient still needing to wear glasses, hard contact lenses or enhancement treatments may be needed.

• One of the side effects of laser eye surgery is temporarily seeing halos, glare or having double vision for a few days. However, in some cases, this last for months instead of days and that’s when it becomes a problem. If you’re still having these problems after a few days see your doctor.

• It’s uncommon but possible for your results to be temporary and your sight can begin to regress after several years.

• Dry eye is common immediately after surgery but it should go away after a few days. Nevertheless, in some cases it doesn’t. If you continue to have dry eyes after a few days you need to see your surgeon especially if burning, redness or decreased vision occurs.

• Although this is very rare and it only happens in extreme cases, it is possible for you to lose your vision.

For the most part laser eye surgery is safe and complications don’t arise. This is especially true if you’re a good candidate for the surgery and choose a reputable facility with an experienced surgeon who is qualified to perform the procedure. Still, complications are possible so, everyone should review the laser eye surgery risks before making their final decision.