What if Lasik screws up? Get a retinal implant

Filed Under Body Modification, News

Retinal Implant

The number one question in my mind that deters me from laser eye surgery to correct my vision is “what if the doctor screws up and I’m blind?” My sight is an important part of my life, as it is for most people, and I can’t imagine trying to function in life without it. I’ve joked in the past that I’ll get lasik when they have replacements on hand in case something goes wrong. Well, now they will. It has taken them 20 years, but the Boston Retinal Implant Project has designed an implant that will “provide patients with a sense of their surroundings - to detect shapes and obstacles in their pathways”. It’s not a perfect replacement for your natural eyesight yet, but it will allow you to get around on your own without a guide dog or a white cane. Most of the hardware is kept outside of the eye, with only a small strip of plastic actually implanted. This plus the reports that LASIK can improve eyesight beyond 20/20 continue to make the procedure more attractive to me. If you want to check out more info on the retinal implant, there’s a good article on The Boston Herald with more details on how it was designed.


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    If LASIK goes wrong, 99% of the time it's the cornea that's damaged, not the retina. Don't ever consider LASIK -- it's an inherently harmful surgery, even though it can correct refractive errors. Complications after LASIK are common. I have researched LASIK risks and complications extensively. My website contains many excerpts from medical studies that show an alarming percentage of patients suffer dry eyes and night vision impairment. Furthermore, medical studies have proven that the flap only heals to 2% of the cornea's original tensile strength, and that the biomechanical strength of the cornea is permanently reduced by about 50% in all LASIK patients. Corneal nerves are severed when the flap is cut and never fully return to normal densities and patterns. You can read more about LASIK complications on my website:
    www.lasikcomplications.com
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    Lasik     changes the shape of the cornea (clear front) of the eye. The laser energy does not affect the retina, which is the light sensitive membrane inside and at the back of the eye.

    I work for a nonprofit Lasik patient advocacy. We do not provide Lasik. We provide Lasik information and certify Lasik doctors who meet patient outcome requirements.

    Many studies have shown that Lasik is safe and effective by medical standards. A recent evaluation of studies involving over 2,000 patients found a Lasik
    satisfaction rate     of about 95%. Satisfaction may not be perfection, but it is satisfaction.

    Lasik is surgery and all surgery has risks, but risk to the retinal is highly improbable.

    Glenn Hagele
    Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance
    http://www.USAEyes.org
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