Recently, there was a news story about a young, beautiful meteorologist who took her own life after suffering the side effects from SMILE eye surgery.
SMILE stands for "small incision lenticular extraction," in which the vision is corrected by removing a part of the cornea. This procedure is known to be less invasive than LASIK surgery, which creates a larger corneal flap, resulting in greater loss of corneal nerves as opposed to someone who undergoes the SMILE procedure.
When this story first broke in November of 2018, our ophthalmology practice was inundated with phone calls and inquiries. Is this really a thing? Could people be so unhappy with their LASIK that they kill themselves? Is LASIK really that horrible??
In regard to LASIK, take a look at the facts. The Mayo Clinic reports that 96% of people undergoing voluntary vision corrective surgery were happy and that 8 out of 10 were no longer in glasses or contacts following surgery. Patients reported such side effects of dry eye, glare, halos, double vision, under correction, over correction, flap issues and vision loss or changes.
As with any surgery, whether it be elective or medically necessary, there are always risk factors. You need to educate yourself and know all of the risks, then weigh the risk vs rewards for that individual procedure. Do I believe that someone who is in the media, would not be well educated on the risks? No. Do I believe someone could kill themself as a result of an unsuccessful vision correcting surgery? No.
This individual, was a beautiful, talented meteorologist, mother of young children, wife and daughter. I strongly encourage everyone to recognize the signs of suicide. If your loved one is losing interest in work or school, giving away possessions, or withdrawing from family or friends, take the necessary steps to make sure that person is ok.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “home” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.