"From what I have seen and witnessed from many patients, I feel at the present time LASIK presents a significant public health crisis.” Dr. Edward Boshnick 4/25/2008

"Indeed, the long-term problems created by laser refractive surgery are not yet a major issue, but soon will be". (Mantry and Shah, 2005)

"These results show that although refractive results after LASIK are relatively good in the short term, they tend to decline over time". (Zalentein et al, 2009)

"To put it more simply, the corneal flap after LASIK provides no more corneal strength than the wearing of a contact lens." William Jory, MD. J Refract Surg. 2004 May-Jun;20(3):286.

In November, 2008, Tiger Woods ' surgeon, Dr. Mark E. Whitten , was ordered by a jury to pay $850,000 in a LASIK malpractice lawsuit brought by a patient who claims permanent eye damage as a result of LASIK. Read more...

On 3/17/2010, a class-action lawsuit was brought against TLC LASIK Centers, the LASIK chain that Tiger Woods promotes, for allegedly performing LASIK on patients who had pre-existing risk factors for post-LASIK ectasia. Read article ; Read lawsuit ; Watch video

Heed this patient's warnings . Even with newer technolgies, such as blade-free LASIK and custom LASIK , persistent dry eyes and night vision problems still occur frequently after LASIK. The latest FDA-required clinical trials confirm this.

Why would military eye surgeons be intensely interested in the advancement of laser eye surgery? We set out to learn the truth about the relationship between the Department of Defense and the ophthalmology medical-industrial complex.

Can you trust this man with your vision?

Why do I need my records? Find out here

If you did not receive a copy of your LASIK medical records , print this form and have it completed by your LASIK surgeon. In some states medical records may be destroyed after five years.

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH: THE LASIK REPORT is an analysis of the peer-reviewed medical literature of LASIK. The report concludes that LASIK is an inherently harmful procedure and should be abandoned. Link

German firm says LASIK is too dangerous to be allowed. Read story

Future Shock: the long term consequences of refractive surgery . (What they knew as far back as 1997).

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 . Source: Bailey MD, Zadnik K. Outcomes of LASIK for myopia with FDA-approved lasers. Cornea. 2007 Apr;26(3):246-54.

Watch stories of LASIK disasters. See television news reports of problems with LASIK. Listen to the warnings of patients who deeply regret having LASIK.

3/7/2012: Morris Waxler invites injured LASIK patients and those who support injured LASIK patients to become co-petitioners. Read letter

Read comments of over 1,500 individuals who support the petition to stop LASIK, and ADD YOUR SIGNATURE HERE

Dr. Morris Waxler, former FDA chief of Ophthalmic Surgical Devices Branch, filed a citizen petition with the FDA calling for withdrawal of FDA approval for all LASIK devices and issuance of a Public Health Advisory in an effort to stop the epidemic of permanent eye injury. Go to our LASIK PETITION web page. (You may also view a pdf of the LASIK petition ).

The LASIK industry claims that 95% of LASIK patients are satisfied with the outcome of their surgery. But is a "happy" patient a patient without side effects or complications? Take a closer look at patient satisfaction after LASIK...

Physician with LASIK complications e-mails his story to us. Read Dr. Morcos' story (Scroll down to 12/29/2010).

"I now know that even having the most experienced surgeon and the clinic with the most modern laser, it just isn't worth the risk..." Read message

What does the LASIK industry have in common with Big Tobacco? Find out here

Unnecessary vs Elective Surgery - Read email from a surgeon in another speciality. Letters (Scroll down to 9/24/2011).

Excerpt from The Big Short by Michael Lewis. The birth of LASIK

The latest LASIK industry hype is 'blade-free' or 'all-laser' LASIK. This technology is advertised as iLASIK, IntraLASIK, or IntraLase and involves cutting the flap with a femtosecond laser. Beware of serious risks and complications of this technology. Read more

LASIK surgeons don't warn prospective patients of the risk of LASIK-related depression and suicide , but they should. Learn why

Did you know? A survey by Consumer Reports found that 53% of laser eye surgery patients experience at least one side effect and 22% still have problems six months after surgery. Read more

You can verify a LASIK surgeon's license to practice medicine, check for state disciplinary action, or file a complaint with your state medical board . Click here to find contact information for your state medical board: Medical Boards

Many injured LASIK patients feel they are victims of deceptive LASIK ads that imply risk-free, perfect vision without glasses. Read the FDA letter to eye care professionals regarding false and misleading advertising of LASIK. Instructions for filing a complaint are provided in the letter: Report deceptive LASIK ads

If you experienced problems after LASIK, such as starbursts, halos, multiple images, night driving difficulty , chronic dry eyes or other complications, you should report it to the FDA: File a report

Read the study of 21 patients who developed agonizing, unrelenting eye pain after LASIK that the AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPHTHALMOGY apparently didn’t want you to read. Read study

Dr. Perry Rosenthal, MD was a Harvard research ophthalmologist who specialized in treating chronic eye pain. He studied corneal neuropathic pain following LASIK and other forms of laser eye surgery, and submitted his research to peer-reviewed ophthalmology journals for publication; however, his research was rejected despited being vetted by leading scientists. Big Ophthalmology is attempting to stymie this information, and to keep the public in the dark about the widespread problems of LASIK surgery.

A survey by Consumer Reports found that 53% of laser eye surgery patients experience at least one side effect and 22% still have problems six months after surgery. Read more »

Several thousand LASIK-injuries have been reported to the FDA. Read a sample . File your complaint .

In this 35 second video, meet a former FDA chief scientist who says that the agency was misled about the dangers of LASIK:

LASIK is NOT medicine -- it's big business. Caveat emptor -- Let the buyer beware!

Nearsighted patients who decline to have LASIK retain the ability to read and see up close after the age of 40 by simply removing their glasses.

LASIK is an unnecessary surgical procedure that carries risk to the organ through which we get 80% of our information.

There are individuals and organizations on the Internet, funded by LASIK surgeons, posing as "LASIK patient advocates", "LASIK experts", or LASIK education sites. Don't be fooled by these LASIK marketing scams. Any organization that refers patients to LASIK surgeons, provides a list of LASIK surgeons, or receives money from the LASIK industry is not looking out for the best interest of patients. Information on LASIK surgeon referral sites is biased and unreliable.

When there is LASIK industry money involved, you can be sure that risks and complications are downplayed or hidden.

If you experienced chronic dry eyes, persistent night vision problems, or other problems from LASIK, the FDA wants to know.

If you're considering LASIK, you've probably heard a lot about the supposed benefits of the surgery. But what about the risks and long-term consequences ? Don't rely solely on a LASIK sales pitch for the facts. Before you risk your eyesight, read Top Ten Reasons Not to Have LASIK Surgery . Our advice: Keep your glasses!!!

Optical Express under fire, HUNDREDS of people in UK say their lives have been blighted by laser eye surgery - Read article in News

Late traumatic flap complications after LASIK on the rise in China -- 45 patients presenting to Chinese military hospitals from 2006 to 2011, and 550 cases located in the Chinese literature. Read about it on Flap Dislocation

Clinics fail to warn patients of laser eye dangers. Read about it on News

Woman sues Optical Express after disastrous laser eye surgery. Read about it on News . Update: Optical Express slapped with £500,000 verdict. Read story

Is LASIK cheaper than glasses and contacts? Get the facts

This site is operated by private citizens and receives no corporate or industry support whatsoever . In other words, we have no financial interest in your decision to have LASIK or not. Our mission is to warn people about LASIK risks, side effects and complications prior to surgery. LASIK patients experiencing problems should seek the advice of a physician.

Thank you for visiting this website. Over 50,000 individuals visit this site every month seeking factual information about the risks of LASIK.

Over 20 laser eye surgery-related suicides reported and many more suspected. Countless more are suicidal, blind, visually disabled, or in incapacitating pain. Tens of thousands in the U.S. alone with post-LASIK corneal ectasia . LASIK surgeons hope the public never finds out. They tout high short-term "satisfaction" to fool the public and the media. They have abandoned the Hippocratic oath to DO NO HARM.

Follow @LasikRisks "I am a physician... I was evaluated and felt to be a good candidate for LASIK surgery... I am now being evaluated for corneal transplant in both eyes... I believe LASIK should be withdrawn." Report filed with FDA. "The biggest regret of my life is not finding your site before having this horrible procedure done." Email from a physician. "Who in their right mind would want to undergo LASIK after viewing these photos?" Email from an eye doctor.



April 2018 Lasik-Suicide Protest



April, 2018: Protest at meeting of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) in Washington DC. Injured patient-protesters were met with sneers and verbal attacks from LASIK surgeons. Learn about LASIK-related suicides here.

Update 11/23/2019: Tragically, we have recently learned of several more laser eye surgery-related sucides. Today the suicide count stands at 28 (many more suspected).

Nov. 21, 2019 cTV news

Lasik MD patients allege nerve damage, file class action lawsuit. From the article: At least two Canadians are suing a national chain of laser eye surgery clinics and asking others to join them after they developed a rare and extremely painful complication. Christopher Ouellet and Krystel Terzian were supposed to see better following the popular elective procedure, but they allege the cornea operation performed at Lasik MD clinics instead triggered unrelenting eye pain. Ouellet is the lead plaintiff in the new first-of-its-kind class action lawsuit. Read article

Nov. 14, 2019 cbs news

LASIK eye surgery should be taken off market, says whistleblower. From the article: Abraham Rutner said LASIK surgery damaged his vision and nearly ruined his life. "It's a devastation that I can't even explain," Rutner told CBS News medical contributor Dr. Tara Narula... [Edward] Boshnick estimates he's treated thousands of patients with LASIK complications... "Essentially we ignored the data on vision distortions that persisted for years," said Morris Waxler, a retired FDA adviser who voted to approve LASIK. He now says that vote was a mistake. Read article

JULy 1, 2019

Wall Street Journal

When Routine Eye Surgery Leads to Debilitating Pain. By Betsy McKay. From the article: Kaylee Patterson woke with a sharp pain in her right eye the morning after she had Lasik surgery... Worried, Ms. Patterson visited her surgeon and her regular eye doctor several times over the next few weeks. They repeatedly told her that everything looked normal, she says. Yet the slightest thing—a draft of air, a ray of light—would cause excruciating pain in her head. “I was in pain and nobody was helping me,” the 33-year-old mental-health counselor said. A year and a half after her surgery, Ms. Patterson finally learned why she was suffering. She has a condition known as neuropathic corneal pain, a specialist told her. Read article Learn more about pain after LASIK

JUNE 11, 2018

NEW YORK TIMES

Blurred Vision, Burning Eyes: This Is a Lasik Success? By Roni Caryn Rabin. From the article: Even now, serious questions remain about both the short- and long-term risks and the complications of this increasingly common procedure. Nearly half of all people who had healthy eyes before Lasik developed visual aberrations for the first time after the procedure, the trial found. Nearly one-third developed dry eyes, a complication that can cause serious discomfort, for the first time. The authors wrote that “patients undergoing Lasik surgery should be adequately counseled about the possibility of developing new visual symptoms after surgery before undergoing this elective procedure.” Read article

EXPLOSIVE LASIK DOCUMENTARY

Watch Dutch filmmakers expose hidden risks of LASIK (with English subtitles).

http://vara.nl/media/369785

2016 Lasik Protest

New Orleans

Learn more about suicide after Lasik and how Lasik surgeons are trying to hide the link between a bad outcome from Lasik and depression or suicide.

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF

LASIK SURGEONS

LASIK surgeons say the darndest things when they think the public isn't listening... At the 2016 World Ophthalmology Congress, leading Lasik surgeon, Peter McDonnell, MD, is quoted admitting that Lasik creates a neurotrophic cornea, which they don't know how to prevent or treat. Wouldn't that require that they stop doing Lasik? Afterall, they are bound by the Hippocratic oath to "Do no harm".

Quote: "A third hot topic within refractive surgery is the neurotrophic cornea, Dr. McDonnell said. However, there is much that remains to be done. “Our limited knowledge translates into a limited ability to prevent and treat this,” he said." Source

NEWS

A press release issued by Avedro, a company that sells a drug-device treatment for post-Lasik ectasia, states, "The incidence of corneal ectasia following refractive surgery [Lasik] is estimated to affect approximately 160,000 patients in the United States, qualifying it as an orphan disease." Link to press release

Laser Eye Surgery and Chronic Pain, by Bryn Nelson on Mosaic Science. Link to article

EXPLOSIVE ARTICLE in October, 2015 issue of Consumers Digest by reporter Catherine Elton. Three former FDA officials are now speaking out against Lasik. Excerpt: "Waxler and Beers say the clinical trials that were used to apply for FDA approval of Lasik devices had flaws that call into question whether the procedure should have been approved from the beginning."

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

FOR THE AAO AND ASCRS

In a 2010 televised debate with Dr. Morris Waxler, LASIK surgeon, Dr. Stephen Slade said, “The patients that have had problems with older forms of LASIK, or even other forms of refractive surgery, again, are our focus, and we will do everything for them that we possibly can.”

Refractive surgeons ‘should’ take ownership of the problems they create.

LASIK patient advocates ask the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) to earmark foundation funds to assist post-refractive surgery patients who have experienced poor outcomes with the burdensome costs of rehabilitation, including rigid contact lenses, corrective procedures, dry eye treatments, and other costly therapies.

LATEST FDA LASIK STUDY

FINDS HIGH RATE OF PROBLEMS

Results of the long-awaited LASIK Quality of Life Study have been published on the FDA website. On October 19, 2014, FDA official, Malvina Eydelman, M.D., summarized the study findings saying, "Given the large number of patients undergoing LASIK annually, dissatisfaction and disabling symptoms may occur in a significant number of patients."

• Up to 46% of subjects who were symptom-free before LASIK reported visual symptoms (halos, starbursts, glare, and ghosting) after LASIK.

• Up to 28% of subjects with no symptoms of dry eyes before LASIK developed dry eye symptoms after LASIK.

• Nearly 5% of subjects were dissatisfied with their vision after Lasik.

Read more on LasikNewsWire. Important message for PROWL study participants.

Meet Dr. Boshnick

Lasers can certainly remove corneal tissue, but no technology can replace it. Dr. Edward Boshnick, OD, is an optometrist in Miami, Florida who has devoted his practice to treating patients who have lost quality vision and ocular comfort due to refractive eye surgery, such as RK, PRK, and LASIK. Dr. Boshnick fits specialty contact lens designs such as scleral lenses. Contact Dr. Boshnick.

Survey of physicians who've had laser eye surgery

confirms high rates of adverse effects

Pasquali et al performed a survey of physicians who underwent laser eye surgery from 2000 to 2012, which was published in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (JCRS). In a colossal failed attempt to spin the survey results in favor of LASIK, JCRS editor Nick Mamalis, MD revealed the following high rates of post-surgical adverse effects reported by physician-respondents: "eyes feeling irritated (50%), glare (43%), halos (41%), and [trouble] seeing in dim light (35.2%)."Source: Mamalis N. Laser vision correction among physicians: "the proof of the pudding is in the eating". J Cataract Refract Surg. 2014 Mar;40(3):343-4.

In the editorial, Mamalis refers to the LASIK industry's hastily thrown together LASIK WORLD LITERATURE REVIEW, calling it "an exhaustive review". In their haste to counter negative press surrounding a 2008 FDA hearing on LASIK problems, perhaps the authors forgot to mention that the articles retained in the literature review confirm double-digit rates of persistent dry eyes and night vision problems after LASIK.

OTHER NEWS

LASIK: A Fight FDA Can’t Ethically Win written by FDA watchdog/blogger.

LASIK consumer advocates file citizen petition with FDA seeking black box warning on excimer lasers. Read story

Olympic Bobsled Medalist Steve Holcomb Suicide Attempt





Although LASIK is not mentioned in this video, Holcomb's vision problems started after LASIK surgery, according to Holcomb's book. LASIK surgeons routinely misdiagnose post-LASIK ectasia as "keratoconus" in an effort to keep a lid on this growing epidemic. (Note: The corrective procedures that Holcomb underwent were not FDA-approved for post-LASIK eyes). Excerpt from Holcomb's book: "I had worn contacts and glasses for years and thought nothing of it... A local eye surgeon came to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid and offered free Lasik procedures... After a quick screening it was determined that I would be a great candidate, and so I took advantage of it... That had been a year ago, and not only was I not seeing better, but my vision kept getting worse." Update: Holcomb was found dead at the age of 37 in his room at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York, on May 6, 2017.

3/20/2012 - FDA letter to ASCRS: LASIK ads which fail to disclose risks are illegal

Excerpt: "... the FDA‑approved labeling for every laser approved for LASIK includes the risks of dry eye syndrome, which can be severe; the possible need for glasses or contact lenses after surgery; visual symptoms including halos, glare, starbursts, and double vision, which can be debilitating; and the loss of vision. FDA recommends the inclusion of this risk information in all advertising and promotional materials for FDA‑approved lasers used for LASIK."

Read FDA Letter to ASCRS 3/20/2012.

If you become aware of an advertisement, promotional material, or Internet promotion for LASIK that fails to disclose risks, contraindications, warnings, and precautions, please forward it to the FDA. We have designed a template that you may modify to file your complaint. False ad template.

How YOU can help

Leave your comments and sign the petition to stop LASIK. Read what over 1,500 current signers have to say.

If you are an injured LASIK patient, you should file a MedWatch report with the FDA. Read a sample of LASIK injuries on file with the FDA.

Dr. Morris Waxler, former FDA chief research scientist, has re-examined the science behind FDA-approval of LASIK, and now believes LASIK should be discontinued. He asks that you join him to stop LASIK at HelpStopLasik.com

You can help spread the word about problems of LASIK. Add a link to this website on your website or blog, or post a link anywhere LASIK is discussed on the Internet.

LASIK Flaps Never Heal...

"There is a high risk of potential traumatic flap problems after LASIK and it is not recommended in army service". (Xiao et al, 2012)

"Laser in situ keratomileusis is another surgery in which the flap is prone to traumatic dislocation because the interface does not seem to heal except at the edges." (Canto et al, 2011)

"Although LASIK remains the most popular refractive surgical procedure, it is becoming apparent that corneal surfaces, cut to create the midstromal flap during surgery, fail to fully reunite postoperatively; surgeons can simply peel back an anterior corneal flap several years later. Such patients... are at risk for progressive visual disability due to general corneal weakness that may progress to ectasia or even traumatic displacement of the insecure flap." (Mi et al, 2011)

See proof that LASIK flaps never heal»

Other articles of interest

3/30/2013 - Interest in LASIK waning since 2008. Read abstract

3/23/2013 - German researchers find 28.3% of LASIK patients studied do not have vision suitable for driving a vehicle based upon German standards for mesopic vision and glare. Read abstract

2/4/2013 - Global News 16x9 reports Daniel Mouflier's LASIK hell.

1/26/2013 - Joe Tye, Update on LASIK warning

12/18/2012 - FDA warns against improper advertising, promotion of lasers intended for LASIK corrective eye surgery Read press release. According to the press release, the LASIK providers that received FDA Warning Letters are:

12/12/2012 - New case report: Flap dislocation 10 years after "uneventful" LASIK. Read article

11/30/2012 - Dr. Nicholas Caro charged with embezzlement and mail fraud.

11/15/2012 - Long-term study demonstrates ~6 in 1,000 eyes develop post-LASIK ectasia. Link to abstract

7/25/2012 - FDA 'Has Moral Obligation' to Intervene in Suicide

6/5/2012 - Herbert J. Nevyas, M.D., Nevyas Eye Associates slapped with FDA warning letter for failure to report serious LASIK injuries. Read letter

5/15/2012 - Researchers say LASIK flap is "permanent", "non-attached", and "a liability". Source

4/7/2012 - Retrospective study finds LASIK is not safe for military personnel.

3/9/2012 - LASIK founder files new drug application with FDA for treatment of LASIK-injury

3/5/2012 - LasikComplications.com featured in The China Post.

2/24/12 - In an update on a LASIK malpractice lawsuit, attorney Todd Krouner reported that LASIK surgeon, Mark Lobanoff, M.D., sought to discharge and replace defense expert George Waring, M.D., as “incompetent,” as a result of “issues with his memory.” Plaintiff opposed the motion, noting that Dr. Waring continues to treat patients, and no medical affidavit was offered to support Dr. Lobanoff’s claim that his own expert was incompetent. Instead, plaintiff argued that defendants sought to fire Dr. Waring because of his unsuitable history as an expert, including his consensual settlement in a hyperopic ectasia malpractice lawsuit filed against him; suspension of privileges from Emory University Eye Center for implanting a surgical device without the patient’s consent; and a criminal conviction for assaulting a flight attendant. Source

2/15/2012 - LASIK pioneer drops "bombshell" against LASIK, will no longer perform the procedure because it violates his medical ethics. Read article

1/16/2012 - Morris Waxler, former FDA chief of ophthalmic devices, reported the LASIK-related suicide of 28 year-old Vincent Wat of Las Vegas to the FDA commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, M.D., and the director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Jeffrey Shuren, M.D., J.D. Read Dr. Waxler's letter. Read more about LASIK and suicide.

Shocking videos of renowned LASIK surgeons performing

comedy skits mocking damaged patients

who are depressed or suicidal

Watch Parag Majmudar, M.D.'s performance as "Dr. I. M. Suicidal" at a convention of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), singing of "pushing the boundaries of ethics".

Below, skip to 42 seconds to watch comedy skit starring Dr. I. M. Suicial (Parag Majmudar, M.D.), William Trattler, M.D. and Jodi Luchs, M.D.

Before You Let Them Cut on Your Eyes

Watch Joe Tye's LASIK video series: The Campaign to Outlaw LASIK, Yellow VWs and LASIK Injuries, What "Perfect Candidate" Really Means, The Economics of Lasik Surgery, Lasik Injury and Lost Productivity, The Truth About Lasik Enhancements, The Complication They Won't Tell You About , Lasik Dry Eye Disease, The Lasik Industry Code of Silence, Integrity Check for Lasik Surgeons.

GlobalTV 5/28/2011

Investigators go undercover to expose lies that LASIK clinic employees and doctors tell prospective patients. Former FDA chief, turned whistleblower, exposes corruption surrounding FDA-approval of LASIK devices. Young mother who suffers from painful, chronic dry eyes after LASIK tells her story. Son of a police officer who could not bear to live with the complications of LASIK tells his father's story.

MSNBC 2/18/2011

Former FDA official pushes for end to LASIK surgery.

Advocacy

Register with LASIK Surgery Watch, a non-profit LASIK patient advocacy organization: Every Patient Counts

Q. What do 63% of LASIK Surgery Watch members have in common? Answer

On Facebook? Join the LASIK Complications FaceBook Group. The group seeks to raise awareness of problems and risks of LASIK and other forms of unnecessary refractive eye surgery, and to serve as an advocate on behalf of patients with complications.

12/16/2010

News Channel 7 WSPA

TLC accused of performing LASIK on bad candidates. Class action and medical malpractice lawsuits name TLC Laser Centers. Watch video:

April 2008

FDA Hearing on LASIK

In response to public outcry of widespread problems with LASIK, the FDA held a public meeting on April 25, 2008 to hear from a panel of experts and patients harmed by the surgery. Watch presentations:

More FDA hearing videos »