The death of Jessica Starr, Fox 2 presenter, highlights the possible link between Lasik surgery and suicide

Suicide news from Fox 2 Detroit meteorologist, Jessica Starr, added to an ongoing conversation about a possible link between operated surgery patients at the eye Lasik and suicide.

In June the New York Times reported documented cases of painful side effects and abnormalities of vision resulting from an eye-to-eye surgery. laser. In some cases, the chronic pain and blurred vision experienced by patients after the procedure was so intense that it apparently led to suicide.

The report was published just six months before Starr, 35, commits suicide after fighting openly against drought. following a Lasik SMILE procedure she had in October that prevented her from returning to work.

"Thanks for all my best wishes and ask where I went," Starr said in a video posted on Facebook in November. "I am fighting a bit, so I need all these prayers and all my wishes, because it has been difficult."

The report NYT details a similar experience of the struggle of Geobanni Ramirez, a graphic designer who, more than two years after an intervention at Lasik, continues to experience a sensitivity in extreme light, triple vision, visual distortion, and severe dry eye – price to pay for a 20/20 vision.

"I consider my vision 20/20, because I see the A, B and C throughout the graph," he told the newspaper in June. "But I see three A's, three B's, three C's."

Ramirez told NYT that as a result of the procedure he had to put drops in his eyes twice an hour and that he often felt a burn compared to that tested by chopping onions.

Since the laser correction procedures issued by the Food and Drug Administration in the 1990s, more than 9.5 million Americans have opted for laser-based correction surgery instead of wearing glasses or glasses. contact lenses.

The procedure chosen by Starr, however, is relatively new. Approved by the F.D.A. in 2016, the Lasik SMILE (or small-incision duckweed extraction ) is marketed as a less invasive corrective surgery and address to people with mild myopia. Lasik and SMILE redraw the cornea of ​​the eye. During SMILE, two small cuts are made to remove a lenticule (small lens-shaped tissue). Lasik, also a two-step procedure, requires a large flap-like incision that is then repositioned.

The Lasik controversy dates back to 2008, when patients dissatisfied with Lasik pleaded before the F.D.A. for greater transparency regarding the risks and long-term side effects of the procedure, as well as for the implementation of stricter eligibility requirements for interested applicants. At the time of the hearing, it was estimated that "less than 1% of patients" had "serious complications" and "poor vision".

The NYT cites a 2017 study that concludes that the short-term symptoms seen in two groups of patients undergoing clinical trials were similar to those of Starr and Ramirez and that their cases were not so rare. While a "large part" of patients reported improvement in symptoms of astigmatism, others developed symptoms such as dry eye, or double image, glare, halos and stars.

The study concludes that patients treated with Lasik should be monitored and interviewed in order to better inform the public of the well-documented dangers of the procedure.

Another Subject NYT Katie Enders, a kindergarten teacher, described her post-Lasik dry eye as a sensation comparable to that of "paper cuts in the eyes. "

Dr. Anat Galor, an associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, found that 20-55% of patients reported having dry eyes "at least six months after surgery."

She told NYT that with any surgical operation, the nerves were damaged. "It does not matter that it's a breast surgery or an eye surgery," she said. "We have sensory nerves all over our body and the cornea is one of the most innervated organs in the body, so it's a little more sensitive to nerve damage."

Complications of Stik in Lasik SMILE have not been officially confirmed As a cause of her suicide, her fight against convalescence was documented on Facebook, including a video in which she was asking Fox TV viewers 2 tips on how to manage her recovery and informed her fans of her Halloween with her two children. [19659004] "My vision begins to arrive," she says. "I have a small side of dry eye so I have to use a lot of drops." When the drops are in, I can see clearly but they fade enough quickly."

"I just want to get back to my 100 percent vision so you can keep the guys smiling," she said.

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Service. Lifeline (1-800-273-8255 or text 741-741) that provides free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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