As with any surgical procedure, complications may arise. These require the procedure to be aborted to let the cornea heal. Rarely a flap may require suturing in place and even more rarely, a flap may be lost - making this essentially a surface treated procedure with a more variable result. The flap is usually easy to lift for several months post-op. Very rarely, flaps of excessive thickness have been reported to occur, with the blade inadvertently entering the eye.
Most patients are back to work in one day.
There is typically very little or no pain, and patients recover vision within the first 24 hours, because the epithelial surface is minimally disrupted. RK and PRK are more uncomfortable and visual recovery usually takes longer. Because there is minimal disruption of the corneal architecture and minimal would healing, it is likely that there will be minimal refractive change over time. There are no reports, thus far, of myopic or hyperopic shift, however, many years of observation will be required to know about long-term stability of the procedure for sure. Because of the complexity of the microkeratome, manual dexterity and operative experience is required.