Can You Sue When Lasik Surgery Goes Wrong?

 Posted on March 13, 2025 in Medical Malpractice

More than a million people across the United States have Lasik eye surgery annually. Lasik corrects certain vision problems, allowing many patients to forgo any type of vision correction device, like contacts or glasses. Lasik uses a laser to change the shape of corneal tissue, resulting in refraction and correcting blurred vision. Patients with astigmatism, farsightedness, and nearsightedness can benefit from Lasik corrective eye surgery, and most patients benefit from the surgery.

Despite its relative safety, some patients may experience severe complications from Lasik eye surgery. A number of patients have reported compromised vision or loss of vision following the procedure. When negligence is present in these eye surgeries, the patient may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Lasik eye surgery is not recommended for certain patients, making pre-screening a vital step in the process. If you have suffered a serious complication from Lasik surgery and you believe the complication is the result of negligence, it is time to talk to an experienced Chicago, IL medical malpractice attorney.

Adverse Symptoms Experienced by Some Lasik Patients

While many people have no complications from Lasik surgery, this is not true for every patient. The FDA found the following:

• At least one adverse visual symptom was reported by 46 percent of Lasik patients at three months post-surgery.
• Among patients who had never experienced dry eyes before the procedure, almost 30 percent reported this as a symptom after Lasik surgery.
• "Halos" were the most common visual symptom developed after Lasik, with up to 40 percent of patients experiencing halos three months after the surgery.
• About one percent of patients who underwent Lasik experienced "a lot of difficulty" or a total inability to perform their usual activities because of starbursts, ghosting, glare, and halos.

Negligence in Lasik Eye Surgery

Surgeons who perform Lasik are obligated to discuss the potential risks and complications of Lasik with their patients and perform comprehensive pre-screenings that identify viable candidates. Patients with certain medical issues or exceptionally compromised vision require a comprehensive battery of screening protocols before undergoing Lasik surgery. Negligence can result from a failure to warn, a failure to pre-screen, or a failure to perform the procedure with adequate training, care, and skill.

The damage to a patient’s vision after Lasik can be permanent, with no way to correct the damage. A patient with this level of vision disturbance has likely experienced significant quality of life losses. If negligence is the reason for serious vision problems following Lasik, a medical malpractice claim can obtain compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, lost future wages, loss of consortium, and pain and suffering.  

What Are Some Types of Surgical Error That Can Occur During Lasik Surgery?

A surgeon could enter incorrect data or miscalculate the patient’s prescription, leading to under or over-correction, or could fail to properly assess the patient’s eyes during the pre-op evaluation. Surgeons must always fully discuss the possible risks and expectations regarding the outcome of Lasik surgery with each patient. In some cases, improper laser alignment can result in uneven tissue removal and complications.

Less severe complications include infection, vision abnormalities, chronic dry eye, and inadequate correction of the initial visual problem, requiring additional surgical procedures. Surgeons owe each patient a duty of care. If negligence is present, that duty of care is breached. If the breach of duty of care directly caused the injury, and the result of the injury is specific patient damages, then a medical malpractice claim may seek restitution for those damages.

Contact a Chicago, IL Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If you have suffered eye injuries following Lasik surgery and believe those injuries are the result of negligence, it can be beneficial to speak to a knowledgeable Chicago, IL medical malpractice attorney from Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, LLC. We are award-winning attorneys who have represented personal injury and medical malpractice clients since 1997, securing millions of dollars in awards for our clients. Call 312-236-6324 for a free consultation.