Risks

Book Your FREE Video or Telephone Consultation

Daily appointments available from the convenience of your own home.

Or Request a call back

Arrange a callback

or complete a live booking

Book Your FREE Video or Telephone Consultation

Daily appointments available from the convenience of your own home.

Or Request a call back

Arrange a callback

or complete a live booking

Book Your FREE Video or Telephone Consultation

Daily appointments available from the convenience of your own home.

Or Request a call back

Arrange a callback

or complete a live booking

Laser eye surgery complications are very rare. The surgery itself is a very straightforward procedure which has helped millions of people around the world to enjoy better vision. At Optegra we do everything we can to keep the risks of laser eye surgery to a minimum.

Laser eye surgery success rates

Success rates from laser eye surgery are incredibly high. In rare cases, only around 2-3% of patients will require a follow-up procedure shortly after the first to achieve maximum vision improvement.

Optegra’s consultants and surgeons will be in touch with you regularly after the procedure to ensure the treatment has achieved the expected results. The success rate for follow-up procedures is also extremely high. Overall, it is important to remember that complications associated with laser eye surgery are very rare.

What are the risks of laser eye surgery?

Laser eye surgery is one of the most commonly performed elective surgical procedures in the world. The complication rate is extremely low, and in the event that problems do occur, they can be addressed by further treatment.

We provide comprehensive aftercare, so if you do experience any side effects of laser eye surgery, your surgeon will be on hand to track your progress and advise on whether you need any further treatment.

Laser eye surgery side effects

Laser eye surgery comes with very few complications and side effects. Many of the side effects are those you would expect to experience after minor surgery on your eyes, such as:

blurred vision
halos in vision
gritty or irritated eyes

These all usually clear up in a matter of days, depending on the type of laser eye surgery performed.

A Sense of Trust

I was at first apprehensive. When I went to Optegra there was that sense of trust from the first visit

Paula

Professional Opera Singer

How to keep laser eye surgery risks to a minimum

The risk of laser eye surgery complications can be reduced by choosing a high quality laser eye surgery provider with the very best laser eye surgeons, facilities and equipment.

Here at Optegra, we do everything we can to maximise laser eye surgery safety, and it’s easy to see why we’re a top rated eye hospital. When you choose to have a laser eye treatment with us, you can rest assured that we’ll provide:

World-class laser eye surgeons

Our experienced laser eye surgeons are all NHS trained, and all are fellows of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists or equivalent bodies. Our consultants are experts in their field, and between them they’ve carried out thousands of successful laser eye treatments.

Personalised treatment

Before going ahead with treatment, you’ll have a consultation with one of our ophthalmic surgeons. They’ll carry out some diagnostic tests to assess your suitability for laser eye surgery, and they’ll put together a personalised treatment plan to help you get the best possible results from your surgery. You’ll see the same surgeon right the way through from your initial consultation to your surgery and aftercare, so you can rest assured that you’re being treated by someone who understands your individual needs.

The best facilities and technology

Our eye hospitals and clinics are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, including top-of-the-range diagnostic equipment, the latest laser eye technology and comfortable recovery suites for you to relax after your treatment. The better the technology, the more accurate the results you’ll get from your laser eye surgery, and we pride ourselves on offering the latest laser eye surgery techniques.

High quality aftercare

The weeks and months after your laser eye surgery are vital when it comes to getting great results, and here at Optegra we provide comprehensive laser eye surgery aftercare to ensure that everything goes smoothly. You’ll have your first aftercare appointment the day after your surgery, as well as further follow-up appointments to check on your progress.

One of the best things you can do to reduce the risk of laser eye surgery is to carefully follow the instructions given by your surgeon before, during and after your laser eye treatment. In the period following your surgery, take care not to rub your eyes, and avoid activities which could put them at risk. If you have any concerns at any point, book an appointment with your surgeon, or get in touch on our patient phone line.

Laser eye surgery risks FAQ

Millions of laser eye surgery procedures have been carried out worldwide and, to date, not one of these has resulted in blindness. Laser eye surgery only affects the surface of the eye with a laser that can’t cause any unnecessary damage or make you go blind.

Complications from laser eye surgery are not at all common. Risks from the procedure are very low overall, with less than 4% of patients experiencing any kind of complication. We minimise the chances of any risk occurring right from the very first consultation where one of our professionals will first ascertain the best procedure for you. From this point onwards, we will advise at every stage to ensure any possible risks are as unlikely as possible.

Laser eye surgery is safe long term. The only permanent outcome consistently reported from laser eye surgery is improved vision. In terms of some health benchmarks, such as chances of eye infection, contact lenses have been shown to be far more likely to cause this than laser eye surgery.

Laser eye surgery comes with very little risk, so improved vision gained from the procedure far outweighs any potential complications. Although complications can occur in very rare cases, these are often very minor. Our team are on-hand to advise at every stage of treatment to minimise problems or complications following laser eye surgery and ensure any issues that arise are dealt with immediately.

By Author: Amir Hamid

Mr. Amir Hamid is our Medical Director for Vision Correction and an expert refractive surgeon, based in London.