LASIK Complications leave Woman with Chronic Pain and “Biggest Regret”
Forโค months, Alex Mencos endured debilitating eyeโ pain following LASIK surgery, a pain dismissed byโ multiple doctors as โnot being connected to the procedure. Herโฃ ordealโค ultimately led to a diagnosis of corneal neuralgia, a condition she now manages with a complex regimen and shares with others online, warning them of potential risks.
Mencos’s problems began after undergoing LASIK surgery. She quickly developed symptoms including constant pain, burning, and a gritty โsensation in โher eyes. “I had to quit my job as I was in constant pain and I was desperately trying to find โคanswersโข from any doctor who would listen. I would sleep the โdays away because the pain would lessen with my eyes closed,” she explained to Newsweek. Despite using heat compresses, over-the-counter and prescription eye drops, steroids, โand undergoing numerous eye โขtests examining pressure, dryness, and vision, her condition didn’t improve. A chalazion further โขintricate the situation.
Frustrated by repeated assurances that herโ symptoms were normal, Mencos felt “gaslit” as her pain continued. Doctors consistently insisted her issues weren’t linked to the LASIK surgery, despite her experiencing “excruciating pain.”
Seeking answers, Mencos joined a Facebook support group for individuals experiencing โฃLASIK complications. This ultimately led her to a specialist outside of her insuranceโค network. This doctor was the first to validate โherโฃ experience, diagnosing her with permanent nerve damage and suggesting she may not have been a suitableโค candidate for LASIKโ given her history of Stage 4 โcancer.
“He was the first doctor to believeโ me and confirm that what I was experiencing was notโฃ normal,” Mencos said.Further testing confirmed a diagnosis โof corneal neuralgia, โคa โcondition characterized by pain, light and air sensitivity, burning, and severeโ dryness. The American Academy of ophthalmologists acknowledges corneal pain as โคa potential, though rare, complicationโฃ of LASIK and other eye surgeries.
Mencos โnow considers getting LASIKโค her “biggest regret,” stating sheโ “would rather fight Stage 4โค cancer โฃagain if it meant I could reverse my decision.”โ She has not accepted any financial โขcompensation related to her experience.
The search for a diagnosis and ongoing management of her condition hasโ cost Mencos over $20,000.Her currentโค treatment plan includes autologous Serum Tears, twice-daily eyelid cleansing, heat masks, and dietaryโ supplements.
Driven by a desire to inform others, Mencos now shares her story on TikTok (@lalexylifestyle), โhoping โto provide valuable information to those considering or experiencing LASIK complications. “Had I seen stories like my own, I would have been able to make a fully informed โขdecision. I never wouldโ have gotten LASIK had I โฃknown,” she stated.