LASIK Eye Surgery Risks

Before deciding on vision correction surgery, it is worth understanding the potential risks of LASIK and how they are managed. LASIK is one of the most studied and most successful elective procedures in medicine, but like any surgery, it carries considerations every patient should understand before moving forward. At Feinerman Vision, that understanding starts at your consultation, where Dr. Gregg Feinerman personally examines your eyes and walks you through what applies to you.

LASIK Risks in Perspective

Serious complications from LASIK are rare. After more than 25 years of clinical use and FDA oversight, peer-reviewed studies consistently show low complication rates in properly screened candidates, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have both affirmed the procedure’s track record based on decades of outcomes data. If your question is the broader one, “is LASIK safe?”, the sections below answer it in depth, with real success rates and the screening data behind them. This page focuses on the risks themselves: what can happen, how often, and how each one is managed.

What separates modern LASIK from earlier generations of the procedure is how much three risk factors have improved: candidacy screening, diagnostic imaging, and laser technology. Today’s screening process identifies patients who are not good candidates before surgery is ever scheduled. Advanced diagnostic mapping, including INNOVEYES SightMap™ ray-tracing used with WaveLight® Plus LASIK, captures a complete picture of the eye’s unique optical signature and guides a fully personalized treatment. Dr. Feinerman was the first surgeon in Orange County and greater Los Angeles to perform WaveLight Plus LASIK following FDA approval. Bladeless femtosecond technology has further reduced the flap-related complications that occasionally occurred with older mechanical techniques.

Risk in LASIK ultimately comes down to three things working together: a thorough candidacy evaluation, the right technology applied to the right patient, and the experience of the surgeon performing the procedure. Dr. Feinerman has performed more than 30,000 procedures and personally performs every consultation and every surgery at Feinerman Vision.

What Is the Failure Rate of LASIK?

The failure rate of LASIK is extremely low. According to the American Refractive Surgery Council, nearly 99% of patients achieve better than 20/40 vision, and about 90% reach 20/20 or better. When a result falls short of target, the outcome is usually a small residual prescription rather than a complication, and it can typically be corrected with an enhancement procedure. Understanding both the success rate and the risks below helps set realistic expectations.

Temporary Side Effects After LASIK

Most of what patients notice after LASIK is temporary and part of normal healing. These side effects generally resolve within days to weeks:

Dry Eyes – The most common side effect. The procedure temporarily affects tear production, and prescribed lubricating drops relieve symptoms while the eyes heal.
Light Sensitivity – Increased sensitivity to sunlight or bright indoor lighting may occur after surgery and usually improves as the eyes recover.
Glare and Halos – Some patients notice glare or halos around lights, especially at night. These tend to fade as the cornea stabilizes.
Fluctuating Vision – Slight blurriness or day-to-day changes are expected during early healing and typically settle within a few weeks.
Itchiness or Irritation – Mild irritation right after surgery usually subsides quickly. Avoid rubbing your eyes and follow your post-operative instructions.

If any of these persist or worsen, contact the office. Follow-up visits exist to catch and treat exactly these issues early.

When LASIK Is Not the Right Procedure

The most important risk management happens before surgery: recommending a different procedure when LASIK is not the best fit for your eyes. Patients screened out of LASIK for thin corneas, high prescriptions, or significant dry eye risk are often candidates for EVO ICL™, a lens placed inside the eye that removes no corneal tissue, so thin corneas are not a barrier.

Because Dr. Feinerman performs LASIK, PRK, EVO ICL, and lens-based procedures, the recommendation you receive is based on your anatomy and goals, not on the one procedure a practice happens to offer.

Testimonials

"LASIK is the best choice I ever made!!"

Megan Thee Stallion

"It's a big relief for me to have a doctor that actually cares for my wellbeing and for how I feel. Dr. Feinerman really was amazing at making me feel at home; I consider him a friend now. Anytime someone asks me for LASIK in LA, I'll 100% say Feinerman. "

Mr. Carmack

"The whole procedure took less than five minutes. It was completely painless. Once it was done, I could see everything super HD clear, and I was really excited because I haven't been able to see like that in so long. I'm truly grateful for Dr. Feinerman. "

Sophia Chang

"Dr. Feinerman was super friendly and open to any questions or concerns I had. It felt like a normal eye appointment; you don't feel anything... I even went out to dinner that night. LASIK gave me so much freedom. It's the best thing I've ever done."

Rocky Barnes

"Going to see Dr. Feinerman, he just made me feel really comfortable straight away. And the surgery was over so quick. After going through the procedure, which was basically pain free, I slept for six hours, woke up, and had perfect eyesight!"

Georgia Gibbs

"Dr. Feinerman is probably one of the more baller doctors I've ever met. He blasted Drake during the surgery, which was really soothing for me as a millennial. The surgery itself only took five minutes, which was crazy. The healing process was really quick!"

Charly Jordan

Less Common but Possible Complications

Serious complications after LASIK are rare, and most are treatable when caught early. The ones worth knowing about:

Corneal Ectasia – A weakening and bulging of the cornea after surgery, typically associated with corneas that were too thin or irregular to begin with. This is precisely what modern screening is designed to catch: patients whose corneas raise this risk are not offered LASIK at Feinerman Vision.
Flap Complications – The corneal flap can shift, fold, or heal unevenly, causing temporary distortion or discomfort. Bladeless femtosecond flap creation has made these issues far less common than with older mechanical techniques.
Under- or Over-Correction – If the laser removes slightly too little or too much tissue, minor residual vision error can remain. This is usually correctable with an enhancement procedure.
Infection – Rare, and put in perspective below.
Persistent Visual Symptoms – A small number of patients continue to see halos, glare, or reduced contrast sensitivity, especially at night. Modern wavefront-guided treatment planning has substantially reduced these outcomes.

Corneal Infection in Perspective

Infection after LASIK is rare and the exposure happens only once, at the time of surgery: on the order of 1 in 21,700 procedures (Schallhorn JM, et al. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2017;43(4):473-479). Corneal infection is in fact more common with contact lenses than with LASIK. Contact lens-related corneal infection occurs in about 1.9 per 10,000 daily-wear soft lens wearers each year, rising to roughly 20 to 25 per 10,000 with overnight wear (Stapleton F, et al. Ophthalmology. 2008;115(10):1655-1662), a risk that returns every year lenses are worn.

How Feinerman Vision Minimizes the Risks of LASIK

Every step of the process at Feinerman Vision is built around reducing risk:

One Surgeon, Start to Finish – Dr. Gregg Feinerman personally performs every consultation and every surgery. He calls patients the evening of surgery and sees them himself the next day. There are no hand-offs to a rotating team.
Blade-Free Flap Creation – Using a femtosecond laser instead of a blade allows more controlled corneal flap creation, reducing flap complications and promoting faster healing.
Advanced Laser Technology –
- WaveLight® EX500 (Excimer Laser) – The treatment laser for both wavefront-optimized LASIK and WaveLight Plus LASIK, where it is guided by INNOVEYES SightMap ray-tracing diagnostics to deliver a treatment personalized to each eye’s complete optical signature.
- Ziemer FEMTO LDV Z8 (Femtosecond Laser) – Creates the corneal flap without a blade. Dr. Feinerman was the first surgeon on the West Coast to perform Ziemer bladeless LASIK.
Attentive Aftercare – A structured schedule of post-operative visits, with direct access to the practice if anything feels off between them, so small issues are caught before they become significant ones.

Why Choose Feinerman Vision for LASIK?

Feinerman Vision is a boutique, single-surgeon practice in Newport Beach, founded in 2001. Dr. Feinerman handles every consultation, every procedure, and every follow-up himself. If you are considering LASIK, he can help you understand every aspect of the procedure, including its risks, so the decision you make is an informed one.

Schedule your consultation with Dr. Feinerman, or call (949) 631-4780.

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faqs

Can LASIK cause long-term vision problems?

Long-term vision problems from LASIK are rare. Most patients enjoy lasting improvement without major complications. Mild issues such as dry eyes or night glare may occur during the healing phase and typically resolve. Dr. Feinerman monitors each patient through a structured follow-up schedule so that anything unusual is caught and addressed early.

How long does it take for vision to stabilize after LASIK?

Most patients notice improved vision within 24 hours, but it can take several weeks for eyesight to fully stabilize. During this time the eyes continue to heal, and temporary fluctuations are normal. Regular post-surgery checkups track your progress through recovery.

What are the chances of needing a second LASIK procedure?

Most patients never need one. A small percentage may benefit from an enhancement if vision changes slightly over time or the cornea heals differently than expected. Feinerman Vision backs its LASIK procedures with a lifetime enhancement guarantee, and enhancements are only recommended when they are medically appropriate and likely to benefit your vision.

What should I do if I feel unusual discomfort after surgery?

Some irritation, dryness, or light sensitivity is expected after LASIK. Sudden pain, a significant drop in vision, or other unusual symptoms are different: contact Feinerman Vision immediately at (949) 631-4780. Prompt evaluation is the reason serious complications after LASIK are almost always manageable.

How does Feinerman Vision reduce LASIK risks?

Through careful candidate screening, advanced diagnostics and laser technology, strict sterile technique, and the fact that one experienced surgeon performs and follows every case personally. Every treatment is planned around your unique eye measurements, and patients whose eyes are better suited to a different procedure are told so directly.

Can LASIK cause blindness?

Severe complications are extremely rare. When performed by an experienced surgeon, LASIK is considered very safe, and vision-threatening outcomes are uncommon.

What is the success rate of LASIK?

LASIK is highly successful, with the majority of patients achieving 20/25 vision or better. Many are able to reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses or contact lenses.

WaveLight® Plus LASIK patients often see better than 20/20. In the published clinical study, 100% of eyes achieved 20/20 vision, 89% reached 20/16, and 50% achieved 20/12.5.
Source: He C, Bala C. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2023;49(11):1140-1146.

Can eyesight decline after LASIK?

LASIK provides long-lasting vision improvement, but natural age-related changes (like presbyopia or cataracts) can still occur. If additional care is needed later in life, our patients can access expert cataract and lens implant surgery right here in Newport Beach.