(CBS News)
November 14, 2019, 8:32 AM
LASIK eye surgery has been popular for more than 20 years, with an estimated 20 million Americans undergoing the procedure to correct nearsightedness and improve distance vision. But some patients say the surgery has ruined their eyesight.
The quick, minimally-invasive surgery uses a laser to cut a flap to reshape the cornea at the front of the eye. Now an expert who once backed LASIK is campaigning to get it off the market.
Abraham Rutner said LASIK surgery damaged his vision and nearly ruined his life. "It's a devastation that I can't even explain," Rutner told CBS News medical contributor Dr. Tara Narula.
"Things would appear double. Around the lights were like having starbursts," he added.
After months of not being able to drive or do his job, the Brooklyn electrician finally found help in Miami where optometrist Edward Boshnick fitted him with special contact lenses.Â
"His cornea is very distorted as a result of his LASIK surgery," Boshnick said.
Boshnick estimates he's treated thousands of patients with LASIK complications.
Paula Cofer had surgery 19 years ago, "and from day one my vision was an absolute train wreck and it still is today," she said.