Though the American Refractive Surgery Council cites a serious complication rate of less than 1%, growing numbers of patients say their suffering is being overlooked.
Even Morris Waxler, the former FDA official who approved LASIK in 1999, has since turned into a whistleblower.
“They cut nerves, and they remove part of the cornea’s support structure,” Waxler explained. “Sometimes it grows back correctly, sometimes it doesn’t.”
The LASIKPlus facility in Pittsburgh, where Ryan had his procedure, dropped him as a patient after he posted about his complications online.
In a statement, the clinic said, “Suicide generally cannot be reduced to any single cause,” and emphasized that informed consent is part of their protocol.
But patients like Hayden Hutchins, who experienced similar issues, say stories like Ryan’s are common—and often ignored.
