Description of Event or Problem · 0
PRODUCT CODE LZS (EXCIMER LASER). I AM FILING THIS REPORT ON BEHALF OF THE WIDOW OF A PATIENT WHO DIED BY SUICIDE DUE TO LATE ONSET COMPLICATIONS OF LASIK EYE SURGERY. THE FOLLOWING ARE EXCEPTS FROM THE SUICIDE NOTE THAT HE LEFT FOR HIS FAMILY. QUOTE: I HAD LASIK EYE SURGERY IN 2003 BECAUSE I HATED WEARING GLASSES. I FELT NERDY AND DORKY; I WAS 28 YEARS OLD. I WAS STUPID AND SUPERFICIAL. PLEASE LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE. NEVER DO ELECTIVE SURGERY. PLEASE BE MORE SECURE THAN I WAS. THE SURGERY WENT SMOOTHLY AND I WAS GLASSES FREE WITH NO COMPLICATIONS. IN (B)(6) 2018 I WAS BACK IN GLASSES BUT IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. THE GLASSES GAVE ME NORMAL VISION. LAST (B)(6) 2024, I STARTED HAVING TROUBLE SEEING AT NIGHT. I SAW RAINBOW HALOS AROUND LIGHTS, BAD GLARES, AND BIG STARBURSTS AROUND LIGHTS. I ALSO BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE EYE DRYNESS AND STRAIN. IT WAS GETTING TOUGHER TO WORK AND IT BEGAN TO MAKE ME VERY ANXIOUS. AS THE MONTHS WENT ON, MY SYMPTOMS GOT WORSE AND I LOST CONTROL OF MY ANXIETY. MY DEPRESSION AND SADNESS TOOK OVER. I WENT TO ABOUT 10 DOCTORS AND NONE OF THEM COULD REMEDY MY SITUATION.... I CAN'T SLEEP AND I STRUGGLE MIGHTILY EVERY DAY..... I JUST CAN'T HANDLE MY VISION ISSUES AND I FEAR THEY ARE GETTING WORSE...I THOUGHT I WOULD LIVE A LONG AND HEALTHY LIFE. UNFORTUNATELY, MY LASIK EYE SURGERY FROM 2003 GAVE ME COMPLICATIONS IN 2024 AND I CAN'T COPE WITH THEM. I TRIED SO HARD. I REALLY DID. I JUST CAN'T LIVE WITH THE PAIN ANYMORE. EVENTUALLY I WON'T BE ABLE TO HIDE MY PAIN AND I WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT YOUR LIVES..... IT'S GETTING HARD FOR ME TO FUNCTION ... THE LAST 7 MONTHS [SINCE THE EYE COMPLICATIONS BEGAN] HAVE BEEN A HUGE STRUGGLE FOR ME....." END QUOTE. THERE ARE NOW 41 KNOWN LASIK-RELATED SUICIDES AND MANY MORE SUSPECTED. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE COUNTLESS PEOPLE LIVING WITH LOSS OF VISUAL QUALITY, CHRONIC DRY EYES, EYE PAIN, AND OTHER LASIK COMPLICATIONS, MANY OF WHICH DON'T PRESENT UNTIL MONTHS OR YEARS AFTER THIS INHERENTLY HARMFUL SURGERY. SHORT TERM LASIK SATISFACTION SURVEYS ARE WORTHLESS IN ASSESSING LONG TERM LASIK SAFETY AND EFFICACY. BECAUSE LASIK IS PERFORMED ON A PERFECTLY HEALTHY EYE WITH SAFE ALTERNATIVES (GLASSES OR CONTACTS), THE ACCEPTABLE COMPLICATION RATE SHOULD BE VIRTUALLY ZERO. THE TRUE LASIK COMPLICATION RATE IS IN THE DOUBLE DIGITS, AND SCIENCE PROVES IT! WITHDRAW APPROVAL OF LASIK DEVICES AND ISSUE A PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY NOW!