A meteorologist working at the Fox station in Detroit may have decided to take her own life after suffering from complications of Lasik surgery.
Lasik
Lasik (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis), is a popular surgery used to correct the vision of individuals who are farsighted, nearsighted, or have astigmatism. This type of refractive surgery uses a laser or microkeratome to reshape the cornea of the eye to improve visual acuity.
Although the procedure has helped improve the sight of millions of people, there are rare cases wherein patients experience severe and debilitating pain after the surgery.
Jessica Starr was among those who suffered from complications of Lasik surgery.
In November, the 35-year-old posted a video on her Facebook page about how she was still recovering from a Lasik procedure. She also asked for prayers and well wishes.
Starr said that doctors said it could take up to three months before she could feel like a hundred percent again. The mother of two, however, did not make it through the three months. She died just a month after posting the video on social media.
Like Knives In Your Eyes
Some think that complications from Lasik surgery may have been a catalyst that led to Starr to take her own life.
Katie Enders, who had Lasik surgery in 2006 to fix her vision, understands why this could have happened.
She related that she felt pain right after surgery but was told it was a dry eye that would go away on its own.
The pain, however, intensified. Later, she learned she had Corneal Neuralgia, nerve damage caused by Lasik. She described her condition as like having knives in the eyes 24/7.
"I spent eight years of my life in debilitating pain," she said. "I couldn't live like that anymore and I was close to ending my life."
Katie was fortunate to have consulted with a pain management specialist who has helped her manage the pain.
Lasik Smile
The FDA gave its approval to laser corrective procedures in the 1990s and since then, more than 9.5 million people in the United States have opted for laser corrective surgery in place of using glasses or contact lenses.
The procedure used on Starr, however, is fairly new. Known as Lasik Smile (small incision lenticule extraction), it was greenlighted by health regulators in 2016. The procedure involves making two small cuts to remove lenticule, a tiny lens-shaped tissue.
