Can LASIK cause blindness?

The fear of blindness is one of the most common concerns about LASIK. Here's what the evidence shows.

The Short Answer

Complete blindness from LASIK is exceptionally rare—so rare that it's difficult to find documented cases in medical literature. The few reported cases typically involve:

• Severe infections that weren't treated promptly
• Extremely rare complications like ectasia
• Pre-existing conditions that should have disqualified the patient

Statistics on Serious Complications

Vision Loss

• Complete blindness: Essentially zero documented cases with proper care
• Significant vision loss: Less than 0.1%
• Loss of "best corrected" vision: Less than 1%

What These Numbers Mean

• "Significant vision loss" usually means not achieving 20/40
• Most cases are improvable with enhancement or other treatments
• Permanent, uncorrectable vision loss is extremely rare

Complications That Could Affect Vision

Severe Infection (Very Rare)

• Occurs in less than 0.1% of cases
• Almost always treatable with antibiotics
• Rarely causes permanent damage with prompt treatment

Ectasia (Very Rare)

• Progressive corneal weakening
• Incidence: 1 in 2,500 to 1 in 5,000
• Treatable with corneal cross-linking
• Worst cases may need corneal transplant

Severe Irregular Astigmatism

• Can usually be improved with hard contacts or further surgery
• Rarely permanent

How to Minimize Risk

1. Choose an experienced, reputable surgeon 2. Complete thorough pre-operative testing 3. Disclose your full medical history 4. Follow all post-operative instructions 5. Report any concerning symptoms immediately

Perspective

Contact lens wear actually carries a higher annual risk of serious infection than LASIK does as a one-time procedure.