I’ve worn glasses for much of my life. At school, I needed them to see the blackboard; later, once I’d qualified as a doctor, to spot patients from the nurses’ station.
Today I have quite the collection – distance glasses, prescription sunglasses and, most recently, varifocals.
All the while, laser eye surgery has been there in the background, sold as a near-miraculous fix for imperfect vision.
It’s been around for decades, but its popularity has surged in recent years, with high street chains offering the procedure at increasingly affordable prices.
Have I ever been tempted? The answer is no. The main reason is, as a GP, I’m aware of the risks.
I should point out that, for the vast majority of people, laser eye surgery is straightforward and effective. Between 95 and 98 per cent of patients achieve their target vision.
But there is a darker side to this story – one that patients have every right to hear before they lie down in that chair.
The procedure, known medically as laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (Lasik) corrects vision by reshaping the cornea – the clear surface at the front of the eye. It’s carried out under local anaesthetic – meaning most patients are awake throughout and can go home the same day.
For the vast majority of people, laser eye surgery is straightforward and effective – but there is a darker side to this story, writes Dr Philippa Kaye
The procedure has been around for decades, but its popularity has surged in recent years, with high street chains offering the procedure at increasingly affordable prices
In the short term, almost everyone experiences some side effects – blurred vision, dry or gritty eyes, sensitivity to light, halos around lights, floaters. For most, these settle within weeks. But for some, they don’t.
Persistent dry eye affects around 1 to 2 per cent of patients. Problems with glare and night vision can be permanent.
A small number develop corneal ectasia – a progressive thinning and bulging of the cornea – which, in severe cases, can lead to significant vision loss and blindness.
American health regulator the FDA has acknowledged that Lasik side effects can include irreversible loss of vision and severe dry eye syndrome.
Morris Waxler, the late FDA official who led the original approval of Lasik in the 1990s, later became a fierce critic of the procedure.
His review of Lasik data found complication rates of between 10 and 30 per cent – much higher than the figures cited by providers.
Waxler had petitioned the FDA to revoke approval entirely, calling it one of the biggest medical oversights in modern history.
There is also a case that has shocked America: the death of Ryan Kingerski.
Police officer Ryan Kingerski from Pennsylvania took his own life just five months after he underwent Lasik
Ryan was a 26-year-old police officer from Pennsylvania who had worn glasses since childhood. In August 2024, he underwent Lasik.
‘He took his glasses off and handed them to me,’ his father Tim recalled, ‘and said, “I won’t need these any more.’”
But Ryan suffered severe headaches, double vision, dark spots and floaters, all of which persisted despite seeing multiple specialists, who told him his corneas were thin and his problems irreversible.
On January 25, 2025 – just five months after his surgery – Ryan took his own life. He left a note referencing the procedure.
Suicide is almost always the result of complex factors. But when a young man is left in unrelenting pain and told his condition cannot be fixed, the industry must face questions.
Ryan is not the only patient whose death has been linked – however inconclusively – to laser eye surgery complications.
In 2018, Canadian father-of-two Paul Fitzpatrick took his own life after living with severe post‑Lasik pain for two decades. His family described years of suffering that left him unable to function.
Persistent, unrelenting pain is a well-recognised trigger for depression and other mental health problems. The physical complications of laser eye surgery – from nerve damage in the cornea to severe dry eye and chronic pain – may, in some patients, contribute to profound psychological distress.
Patients can find themselves caught between specialties – psychiatrists are not trained to treat eye conditions, and ophthalmologists are not trained to manage mental health problems.
And there is one more thing the laser eye surgery brochures rarely mention: it does not protect your eyes from natural ageing.
From the age of about 40, the lens of the eye gradually stiffens, making close vision harder. This is presbyopia, and it cannot be fixed by reshaping the cornea.
Even a perfect Lasik result will not stop you needing reading glasses in your mid-40s.
For me, the decision is also personal. I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in my late 30s. Chemotherapy – and the premature menopause it triggered – left me with severely dry eyes.
I use drops multiple times a day and an ointment at night. The prospect of making that dryness worse – potentially permanently – is not a risk I’m willing to take with otherwise healthy eyes.
Glasses work. They have worked for centuries. They are, quietly, one of the most extraordinary tools humanity has ever produced. Without mine, I can barely function. But that is not a problem that needs a surgical solution.
For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
