Can you Have Flap Dislocation Years after LASIK?

Flap dislocation, a rare LASIK complication, can apparently occur years down the road from the original procedure. One would think once the flap has healed, dislocation is unlikely; however, it seems that some instances of trauma provide enough force to dislodge the corneal flap.

An article in the May 2012 issue of EyeWorld shares the story of a patient who experienced flap dislocation 14 years after LASIK. The doctor of the patient is interviewed in the EyeWorld article, and he says part of the problem with a late flap dislocation is diagnosis, because the patient may not go directly to their eye doctor. For example, if a person who underwent a LASIK procedure many years ago is hit in the face with a baseball, he may go to the emergency room, thinking his eye has been injured. He may not immediately consider that the corneal flap created years ago was affected.

When dislocation occurs, a couple of problems can arise. Primarily the flap can get stria, which are folds in the flap. Another possible problem is epithelial ingrowth, which is the growth of cells beneath the flap. Both of these issues can cause poor vision.

Even though the risk of dislocation is present years after LASIK surgery, the complication remains rare. When it does arise, experienced eye surgeons can remove epithelium, smooth out stria and reposition the LASIK flap. If your eye is injured in any way after LASIK surgery, you should schedule an appointment with your eye surgeon.

If you are interested in learning more about LASIK, please contact an experienced eye doctor in your area.