7 Things to Know If You're Considering Eye Surgery - Article Health

A Detroit community is in mourning after a popular meteorologist for the city’s Fox television affiliate died by suicide last week. Colleagues and fans reacted with shock and sadness as they shared the news that Jessica Starr, 35, took her own life, leaving behind a husband and two young children.

With that sadness also comes confusion and questions: Starr underwent laser eye surgery in October and had previously spoken about how she was struggling with her slow recovery and side effects like dry eye. And while Starr’s loved ones have not spoken out about her suicide or what factors may have contributed to it, the timing of the two events has people wondering whether they could have been connected.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, most patients are “very pleased” with the results of refractive eye surgeries like LASIK and SMILE. (The two procedures are similar but use different types of lasers; Starr had the latter, but had described her surgery as both SMILE and LASIK, a more commonly known term.)

But, as with any surgery, risks do exist—and Starr’s is not the first suicide to be linked to these procedures. Here are seven things that anyone considering refractive eye surgery should know in the wake of this scary and tragic story.

What happens during LASIK or SMILE surgery?
LASIK, which stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, and SMILE, which stands for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction, are both procedures that reshape the cornea, John Vukich, MD, associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison tells Health. Dr. Vukich, also a board member for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, did not treat Starr but has performed both types of surgery on hundreds of patients over the years.

“They both use lasers to remove a microscopic amount of tissue,” says Dr. Vukich. With LASIK, he says, an incision on the surface of the cornea creates a thin flap, which is folded back to provide access to the deeper layers. After the cornea is reshaped using a laser, the flap is folded back over and left to heal.

Most patients are happy with the results
FDA studies suggest that about 95% of patients who have had LASIK are happy with their vision after surgery. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 90% of LASIK patients see their vision improve to somewhere between 20/20 and 20/40. And in a clinical trial of the SMILE procedure, all but one of 328 patients had vision of 20/40 or better at six-months post-operation.

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