Rare findings after Refractive surgery
The contents of the section are intended for educational purposes only. In general, refractive surgery such as LASIK, PRK, SMILE, ICL, and Clear Lens Exchange surgery are extremely safe. I have personal confidence in refractive surgery, having undergone LASIK myself, and have recommended surgery to family, friends and colleagues.
These photos are of patients that I have personally examined in my clinic. Some have had a longer recovery process, or required additional procedures. However, I have never had a patient permanently lose their vision after refractive surgery, and every patient has achieved a happy outcome.
-Jimmy Hu, MD
Central corneal haze after Raindrop inlay
The Corneal Raindrop Inlay, made by ReVision Optics (RVO) involved a 2mm clear hydrogel disk placed within the anterior stroma of the cornea. It was designed to correct presbyopia, and for many patients, it worked extremely well. However, due to complications with corneal haze, the device was recalled by the FDA in 2018, with approximately 2-3000 implants placed in patients. Even after the implant was removed from the eye, the corneal haze would persist.
Corneal haze may also been seen as a complication of the AcuFocus Kamra corneal inlay. Research is ongoing to developing a corneal inlay to correct presbyopia without creating corneal haze.
Central Crystalline Keratopathy in a patient with a history of LASIK, following a corneal abrasion
Anterior Subcapsular Cataract after ICL surgery, in a patient that returned after many years of being lost to follow-up
The patient acknowledged that the cataract was a result of not following his doctor’s instructions, and not seeing an eye doctor for years after surgery for regular follow-up exams. The patient underwent removal of the ICL, followed by cataract surgery, is now seeing 20/20 again.
Developing Anterior Subcapsular Cataract after ICL surgery, in a patient with an ICL Vault that is too shallow
The patient presented after having undergone ICL surgery in China, with the ICL vault being too shallow. There was a developing cataract that required bringing the patient back to surgery and exchanging the ICL for one with a larger footplate diameter to achieve an adequate vault above the anterior capsule.