Undercorrection is one of the most common complications of LASIK surgery. This means that the laser removes very little tissue from the eye, which is why it is so common. Although relatively rare, undercorrection or overcorrection are possible complications of LASIK. In the past, the need to improve LASIK was more frequent due to the lack of technology.
However, with the introduction of wavefront technology, the need to repeat the treatment has been reduced. The most common symptom that can occur up to five years after LASIK surgery is blurred or distorted vision that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses. The type of inflammation most commonly associated with LASIK is called diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK). Undercorrection is the most common cause of return requests, and it usually occurs in people who had trouble seeing distant objects clearly and expected to see them better after the procedure.
Thanks to technological advances, major LASIK complications are now rare. Millions of people around the world have undergone LASIK surgery and are satisfied with the results. However, there is still a small risk that the eyes will not be corrected enough or will be overcorrected, so a second surgery may be necessary to correct persistent problems from the first. After a while, LASIK surgery is a common way to correct persistent astigmatism or undercorrection errors.
The reasons why improvements may be needed include undercorrection of the vision problem, excessive correction that causes eye fatigue, problems with the epithelial flap during the healing process, or infection. Despite this, LASIK remains the most commonly performed laser refractive surgery to correct vision. Undercorrection was more common in eyes that had undergone a photorefractive keratectomy than in those that had undergone a photoastigmatic refractive keratectomy (odds ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.25 to 0.60). The most common complications of LASIK are infection or dry eye that persists for more than six months.
Fortunately for anyone who needs or wants an improvement, complications are as common or less likely than in the first procedure.
