LASIK Surgery Risks for Patients with Autoimmune Disease

Patients who have an autoimmune disease are at an increased risk for LASIK surgery complications. Besides risking a poor outcome from the procedure, other LASIK surgery risks these patients endure include corneal thinning, corneal melts, corneal ulcers and irregular healing, as well as scleritis, episcleritis, keratitis and inflammation in the eye.

The correlation between patients with these conditions and LASIK complications was strong enough for both the Food and Drug Administration and the American Academy of Ophthalmology to cite these conditions as contraindications for LASIK in 2002. Although statistics in relatively small population studies indicated corneal thinking and melting were not a significant issue, most doctors remain skeptical about performing procedures on these patients and carefully screen patients to ensure they are not at an increased risk for LASIK complications as a result of an autoimmune disease.