LASIK Eye Surgery: TikTok User Shares Story About its Complications--Why Should We Worry?

LASIK (Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) eye surgery is popular among those who want to have their vision corrected. The procedure takes a deeper interaction with the patient's cornea through the use of lasers. Although it is believed to have a 96% rate of success, it does not mean that it would work ALL the time.

Recently, a TikTok user named Erin Orchard has posted a series of short clips about prominent eye surgery. From the day that she received treatment up to the day that she did not expect to happen, here's why we should be concerned about the famous laser vision correction.

Previous Aftermaths of the LASIK Eye Surgery

According to a 33-year-old Erin Orchard via her official TikTok account, she was left devastated after enduring so much pain caused by the recent LASIK eye surgery. The case of Erin, however, was considered a rare case of the incident which falls in the category of less than 1% of cases that involved serious eye complications.

In 2016, many patients experienced new eye problems after the LASIK eye operation. During that time, the involved persons reported that they were feeling a lot of discomfort in their eyesight including seeing halos, sudden glares, starbursts, and even image replicas. The effects have been observed in three months when the surgery has finished.

Following the mishaps, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning for those who want to try the procedure. The agency said that the patients should first know the potential risks involving the appearance of undesirable symptoms upon the completion of the operation.

Amid the excruciating pain that Erin was suffering, she had witnessed that those affected by the post-surgery complications tend to commit suicide. Since 2019, the TikTok user knows that three people have already taken their own lives.

Nearly three years ago, a meteorologist from Fox Station decided to kill herself after suffering from LASIK surgery complications. In November 2018, Jessica Starr, who was 35 years old at that time had posted a video on Facebook. She was requesting her viewers to pray for her after her short recovery from the procedure.

After learning that it would take at least three months to fully heal from the laser surgery, she did not manage to survive the next month. Her viral post on social media was followed by a shocking suicide that sparked concerns among many people.

What the TikTok User Wants to Tell to Us

@erinorchard88 ##chronicillness ##chronicpain ##lasereyesurgery ##nervepain ##fyp ##lasik ##lasikcomplication ##trauma ##ptsd ##spoonie ##grief ##depression ##mentalhealth ♬ original sound - Brad

The case of Erin started in 2019 when she first received treatment for her eye. She underwent Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) surgery to solve the issue of wearing glasses. The procedure is important to alleviate eye problems such as astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness.

However, Erin said that what she endured was "distressing" and "uncomfortable" . The surgeon even told her to drink alcoholic beverages so she would feel less sensation on her nerves.

During the surgery, Orchard also experienced "panic attacks" and she even requested the surgeon to halt the operation. The LASIK treatment continued and it was finished after 15 minutes.

After two to three days, she felt a "burning" sensation in her eyes and described it as a "blinding pain." She also became photosensitive.

The doctor who told her to consume wine and vodka insisted that she needs to remain silent about the process. Orchard consulted a psychologist to file a formal complaint about the surgeon's behavior. He agreed to refrain from doing the same thing again.

Currently, her right eye was slightly healed, but she still felt the symptoms in some areas. It's even worse that her pain is doubled when she cries.

Erin said that she was advised to undergo a treatment involving "autologous serum eye drops" which are from her own blood. While this appears to be inapplicable, Orchard said that it would really help her.

On Reddit a few years ago, some users also shared their stories about the honest side-effects of the LASIK eye surgery. The majority of the Redditors commented that they have suffered from dry eye, which was one of the most severe complications after the procedure.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry