Latest news with #Lasik
Toronto Sun
23-05-2025
- Health
- Toronto Sun
Doctors, patients warn of Lasik eye surgery perils after cop takes own life
Ryan Kingerski, Pennsylvania police officer who took his own life after complications from Lasik eye surgery. The recent suicide of a young Pennsylvania police officer has revealed the agonizing aftermath for some over Lasik eye surgery. Ryan Kingerski, a 26-year-old officer with the Penn Hills Police Department, took his own life after months of excruciating pain, double vision and chronic headaches due to complications from the surgery. Now, more people have emerged to reveal that Kingerski's situation is not an isolated one. 'Everyone has different problems when it comes to Lasik,' Miami-based optometrist Edward Boshnick told the New York Post . He referred to the surgery as a 'BS procedure' and 'the biggest scam ever put on the American public.' Boshnick added: 'And it's a multibillion-dollar business.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Providers of Lasik eye surgery, or laser vision correction, say it is 95% to 99% safe. The 'simple' procedure uses an ultraviolet laser to reshape the cornea, improving vision without glasses or contact lenses. Morris Waxler, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration branch responsible for reviewing data and approving the Lasik operation decades ago, now regrets the decision. He told CBS in 2019 that his own analysis of industry data showed complication rates between 10% and 30%, and in 2011, he petitioned the FDA to issue a voluntary recall of LASIK, the Post reported. 'It didn't matter what questions and concerns I had, because the surgeons were very powerful and still are,' Waxler said. In 2018, Jessica Starr, a meteorologist in Detroit, hanged herself two months after undergoing Lasik due to intense eye pain and vision problems, according to her husband Dan Rose. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The widower told WJBK that Starr left behind a 30-page suicide note and videos, which explained her decision to take her own life was due to the elective surgery. TV meteorologist Jessica Starr who took her own life following Lasik surgery. (Facebook) Facebook Former LASIK patient Paula Cofer, of Tampa, Florida, told the publication she had suicidal ideations for two years after her 'disastrous' surgery in 2000. She also claimed to know of at least 40 people who took their own lives because they couldn't stand the constant pain and vision problems that developed after the procedure. 'I really didn't want to stick around at times, but I decided I would to get the word out about how dangerous this surgery can be,' she said. 'The LASIK lobby and the surgeons will tell you only 1% of patients have issues afterward. That's not true. There are multiple studies that indicate otherwise.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cofer added: 'The percentage of those with poor outcomes are in the double digits, not 1%. And they know it.' She acknowledged that not everyone has severe complications but 'a lot more people are suffering than you know,' noting that she suffers from 'floaters, severe dry eyes, induced astigmatism and severe night vision problems.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO Officer Kingerski, who underwent LASIK in August 2024, had similar symptoms. His parents, Tim and Stefanie Kingerski, told KDKA about the side effects their son suffered post-surgery, including headaches and double vision, and seeing dark spots and floaters — small spots that appear as streaks. 'He kept saying how bad the pain in his head was. He had a terrible headache and wasn't able to focus, and the vision and the blurriness and everything else — and that just continued,' his parents said. 'Regret was the big thing,' Stefanie said of their son, who would question, ''Why would they do this to me? Why would they not tell me?'' Read More Ryan took his own life in January. 'He left us a note that said, 'I can't take this anymore. Lasik took everything from me.' That's the note that we got left,' Tim said. Stefanie added: 'That's what we were left with.' Canada Music Celebrity Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Alarming number of Lasik eye surgery patients who took their own lives revealed after police officer's suicide
The recent suicide of a young Pennsylvania police officer has reignited concerns over Lasik eye surgery, as dozens more were pushed to the brink of death over similar complications. Ryan Kingerski, a 26-year-old officer with the Penn Hills Police Department, took his own life after months of excruciating pain, double vision and persistent headaches. He claimed the Lasik eye surgery he underwent five months earlier was the source of his suffering. Now, as more horror stories of agonizing symptoms surface, it's becoming increasingly clear that Kingerski's case is not isolated. 'Everyone has different problems when it comes to Lasik,' Edward Boshnick, a Miami-based eye doctor, told The New York Post. 'It's the biggest scam ever put on the American public... and it's a multi-billion dollar business.' Lasik eye surgery, or laser vision correction, is marketed by providers as 95 to 99 percent safe. The so-called 'simple' procedure uses an ultraviolet laser to reshape the cornea, improving vision without glasses or contacts. Morris Waxler, 89, was the former head of the Food and Drug Administration branch responsible for reviewing data and approving the Lasik operation decades ago - a decision he now regrets. Ryan Kingerski (pictured), a 26-year-old officer with the Penn Hills Police Department, took his own life after months of excruciating pain, double vision and persistent headaches - claiming the Lasik surgery he underwent five months earlier was the source of his suffering 'It didn't matter what questions and concerns I had, because the surgeons were very powerful and still are,' he told The Post. He had petitioned the FDA to revoke its approval of the Lasik procedure after his own analysis revealed complication rates between 10 to 30 percent - a staggering contrast to the 'less than one percent' figure cited by providers. In 2018, Detroit TV meteorologist Jessica Starr hanged herself at just 35-years-old, leaving behind a 30-page suicide note and videos blaming her tragic decision on the elective surgery. She documented her struggles in video diary entries. In one recording, she spoke about feeling mad at herself for deciding to go through with the procedure. According to her family, Starr reached out to various eye doctors and even sought help with a therapist, but her emotional state continued deteriorating. The young mother ultimately took her own life after struggling with intense pain and vision problems in the two months since her surgery. 'Prior to the procedure, Jessica was completely normal, very healthy,' Dan Rose, Starr's widower, told The Post. 'There was no depression... no underlying issue.' Also in 2018, Paul Fitzpatrick, a Canadian father-of-two, killed himself and blamed 20 years of post-Lasik pain in his suicide note. In the years following his operation, Fitzpatrick suffered headaches and described feeling needles in his eyes as well as an unbearable dry and burning sensation. His family said in the months leading up to his death, the pain was so unbearable he would keep his eyes closed for most of the time, walking with a cane and planned to move in with his parents. He left a suicide note when he took his life in October of 2018, which described the pain he felt that pushed him to death. 'I cannot experience any type of pleasure anymore,' Fitzpatrick wrote. 'Just the pain of burning eyes inside my head and throughout myself… Since 1996 Pain, pain and more pain, please forgive me for not being strong enough to cope. The past few months have been unbearable.' Gloria McConnell had two Lasik procedures to fix her short-sightedness in 2019. Serious complications arose a few weeks after the surgery, including eyes so dry they had a burning sensation, mites and ingrown hairs in her eyelashes. Four years later, she was barely able to leave her bed. Fitzpatrick's family said in the months leading up to his death, the pain was so unbearable he would keep his eyes closed for most of the time, walking with a cane and planned to move in with his parents (pictured) She died by suicide aged 60. Her son said she left a note to her family in which she explained that the pain from the bungled surgery formed part of her decision to end her life. McConnell even submitted a comment to the FDA's draft recommendations which said: '[LASIK] has destroyed my life.' In August of 2024, Kingerski took some time off his dream job as a police officer to get Lasik and improve his vision - a decision that seemed safe given the demands of his career. However, he would tragically never wear his uniform again, as what his parents described as a 'tragically unsuccessful surgery' transformed him from a smiling, vibrant person to someone unrecognizable. The operation left him with debilitating side effects - headaches, dark spots floating in his eye sight, double vision and extreme sensitivity. In January, still without relief or answers, Kingerski ended his life. In a heartbreaking suicide note, he wrote: 'I can't take this anymore. Lasik took everything from me'. Paula Cofer, one Lasik survivor, shared that she endured two years of suicidal thoughts following her 'disastrous' procedure back in 2000, The Post reported. In Lasik and similar surgeries, a small flap is cut into the cornea, which is then raised slightly. This reshaping changes the way that light is refracted to make up for nearsightedness or farsightedness that occur when light doesn't hit the proper spot on the retina. 'The Lasik lobby and the surgeons will tell you only one percent of patients have issues afterward,' the 66-year-old woman told the outlet. 'That's not true. There are multiple studies that indicate otherwise.' 'The percentage of those with poor outcomes are in the double digits, not one percent,' she added. 'And they know it.' In a shocking twist, Cofer claimed to have known at least 40 people who have taken their own lives after Lasik - unable to go on living with the constant pain and vision problems developed after the procedure, The Post reported. As a way to spread awareness, Cofer runs the Lasik Complications Support Group on Facebook - just one of many organizations on social media created in response to the unspoken dangers of Lasik. 'I really didn't want to stick around at times, but I decided I would to get the word out about how dangerous this surgery can be,' she told the outlet. 'If you understand Lasik and what it does to the eyes and cornea, you realize you can't do it on a healthy eye and not expect complications,' she added. In Lasik and similar surgeries, a small flap is cut into the cornea, which is then raised slightly. This reshaping changes the way that light is refracted to make up for nearsightedness or farsightedness that occur when light doesn't hit the proper spot on the retina. 'Not everyone has severe complications but a lot more people are suffering than you know,' Cofer said. 'I got floaters, severe dry eyes, induced astigmatism and severe night vision problems.' More than 10 million Americans have undergone the procedure since Lasik was FDA approved in 1999, according to the medical journal Clinical Ophthalmology, which reports that 700,000 to 800,000 opt for laser vision correction each year. Abraham Rutner, a 43-year-old Brooklyn electrician, was one of the lucky ones - miraculously finding a sliver of hope after his failed Lasik procedure five years ago. 'It's like you have a layer of oil on top of your eye - it was so hazy and terrible,' he told The Post. 'I couldn't work. I couldn't drive. I felt like I was still a young man and I lost my life.' However, he heard about Dr. Boshnick's work, whose optometric practice offers vision and comfort restoration due to a variety of eye conditions and surgeries - including Lasik. Rutner was eventually fitted with a scleral lens, a specialized contact that covers and protects corneas damaged by Lasik. Cofer said she was also fitted with the lens - and that it has provided significant relief. The FDA does warn on its website that the procedure carries risks, including vision loss, glare, halos, double vision and other 'debilitating visual symptoms'. According to The American Refractive Surgery Council's website, 'Lasik is safe and is one of the most studied elective surgical procedures available today... the rate of sight-threatening complications from Lasik eye surgery is estimated to be well below one percent.' However, for some experts like Boshnick, Lasik is nothing more than a 'BS procedure', according to The Post. 'People come in with healthy eyes and all they need is eyeglasses,' Waxler told the outlet. 'But when surgeons cut the cornea they are removing nerves and leaving the corneas with odd shapes and some patients will have intractable pain.'
New York Post
22-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Doctors, former patients warn of LASIK eye surgery dangers: ‘Biggest scam ever put on the American public'
The suicide of a 26-year-old Pennsylvania police officer over the after-effects of the popular eye surgery LASIK was not an isolated incident, with others saying it left them with agonizing and life changing symptoms, patients and doctors told The Post. LASIK providers say the procedure is 95% to 99% safe, but one LASIK survivor said she had suicidal ideations for two years after her 'disastrous' surgery in 2000. She also claimed to know of at least 40 people to have taken their own lives because they couldn't take constant pain and vision problems, developed after the procedure. Advertisement 8 Ryan Kingerski, 26, died by suicide after undergoing LASIK surgery in 2024. Family Handout 8 Tim and Stefanie Kingerski said Ryan suffered headaches, double vision, seeing dark spots and floaters — tiny spots that appear as streaks or cobweb-like shapes across a person's field of vision — after LASIK surgery. CBS Pittsburgh 'I really didn't want to stick around at times, but I decided I would to get the word out about how dangerous this surgery can be,' Paula Cofer, 66, of Tampa, Fla., told The Post Wednesday. Advertisement 'The LASIK lobby and the surgeons will tell you only one percent of patients have issues afterward. That's not true. There are multiple studies that indicate otherwise. 'The percentage of those with poor outcomes are in the double digits, not one percent. And they know it,' she claimed. Since LASIK was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1999 over 10 million people in the US have undergone Laser Vision Correction, according to the medical journal Clinical Ophthalmology, which states between 700,000 and 800,000 people sign up for it each year. Cofer runs the Lasik Complications Support Group on Facebook, one of numerous organizations on social media which have sprung up in response to LASIK procedures gone wrong. Advertisement 8 Laser vision correction being carried out by a doctor. Vadim – 'If you understand Lasik and what it does to the eyes and cornea, you realize you can't do it on a healthy eye and not expect complications,' Cofer said. The procedure — Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis — reshapes the cornea of the eye. 'Not everyone has severe complications but a lot more people are suffering than you know. I got floaters, severe dry eyes, induced astigmatism and severe night vision problems,' said Cofer. Advertisement Ryan Kingerski, 26 — the cop who died by suicide after taking time off from the Penn Hills Police Department in Allegheny County, Penn. last August to undergo LASIK — had similar symptoms. His grieving parents, Tim and Stefanie Kingerski, told CBS News this week about the hell their son went through after the procedure. The Kingerskis said Ryan began suffering from headaches, double vision, seeing dark spots and floaters — tiny spots that appear as streaks or cobweb-like shapes across a person's field of vision, they said. 8 Paula Cofer, 66, started the Lasik Complications Support Group on Facebook to help others after suffering complications from her own procedure. Courtesy of Paula Cofer 8 Fox 2 Detroit meteorologist Jessica Starr took her own life and left a note and videos explaining it was because of the complications she suffered after undergoing LASIK surgery. Facebook Ryan's parents told a story similar to that of Detroit TV meteorologist Jessica Starr's widower, Dan Rose, who said she took her own life after struggling with intense eye pain and vision problems following laser eye surgery. The 35-year-old mother hanged herself on Dec. 12, 2018, just two months after undergoing LASIK to correct her vision. 'Prior to the procedure, Jessica was completely normal, very healthy,' Rose told WJBK in 2019. 'There was no depression … no underlying issue.' Advertisement Rose said his wife left behind a 30-page suicide note and videos, which made it clear the decision to end her life was because of the elective surgery. Morris Waxler, now 89, was an FDA advisor who headed the branch responsible for reviewing data on LASIK between 1996 and 2000, which covers the period it was approved. 8 A patient undergoing eye surgery mehmet – 8 Morris Waxler says he regrets approving the use of LASIK when he worked for the FDA and has been speaking out publicly about its dangers since 2010. Vadim – Advertisement It's a decision he told The Post he regrets — and has been speaking out publicly about LASIK's dangers since 2010. 'It didn't matter what questions and concerns I had, because the surgeons were very powerful and still are,' he claimed. Waxler has previously told CBS in 2019 his own analysis of industry data showed complication rates between 10% and 30% and in 2011, he petitioned the FDA to issue a voluntary recall of LASIK. 'People come in with healthy eyes and all they need is eyeglasses. But when surgeons cut the cornea they are removing nerves and leaving the corneas with odd shapes and some patients will have intractable pain,' he added. Advertisement The FDA warns on its website there are risks to undergoing LASIK including losing vision, glare, halos, and/or double vision and other 'debilitating visual symptoms'. However, The American Refractive Surgery Council says on its website: 'LASIK is safe and is one of the most studied elective surgical procedures available today … the rate of sight-threatening complications from LASIK eye surgery is estimated to be well below one percent.' 8 Dr. Edward Boshnick's practice is dedicated to restoring vision and comfort to people affected by eye conditions. He calls LASIK a 'BS procedure'. For Abraham Rutner, 43, a Brooklyn electrician, there was hope after his failed LASIK surgery five years ago. Advertisement 'It's like you have a layer of oil on top of your eye — it was so hazy and terrible,' Rutner told The Post. 'I couldn't work. I couldn't drive. I felt like I was still a young man and I lost my life.' Then he heard about 84-year-old Edward Boshnick, a Miami eye doctor whose optometric practice is dedicated to restoring vision and comfort lost due to a variety of eye conditions and surgeries, including LASIK, keratoconus and corneal trauma. Dr. Boshnick, whose website is called Eyefreedom, fitted Rutner with something called a scleral lens which fits over corneas damaged by LASIK. Paula Cofer also said she got fitted with the lens, which has helped her too. Boshnick told The Post 'Everyone has different problems when it comes to LASIK, and called it a 'BS procedure.' 'It's the biggest scam ever put on the American public,' he said. 'And it's a multi-billion dollar business.'
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Young police officer takes his life after suffering debilitating side effects from Lasik eye surgery
An elective eye surgery led to the tragic suicide of a young Pennsylvania police officer, whose note revealed that the Lasik procedure had 'taken everything' from him. Ryan Kingerski, a 26-year-old officer with the Penn Hills Police Department, underwent Lasik eye surgery last summer - a procedure generally considered safe - but in his case, ended in tragedy just months later. After enduring excruciating pain, double vision and persistent headaches in the five months following the operation, Ryan ended his own life in January - identifying the eye surgery as the main cause of his suffering, CBS News reported. In a heartbreaking suicide note, Ryan wrote: 'I can't take this anymore. Lasik took everything from me'. 'It just... it ruined his life. Ruined it,' Tim Kingerski, Ryan's father, told WTAE News. 'Completely ruined his life in 12 seconds.' In August of 2024, Ryan took some time off his dream job to get Lasik eye surgery to improve his vision - a decision that seemed safe given the demands of his career. 'We had no thought of that... He was very excited because they often tout - Lasik often touts - that you go in and within three days...' Stefanie Kingerski, Ryan's mother, told CBS News, beginning to trail off. 'Simple and effective routine surgery,' Tim added on. 'That he would be back to work in a couple days.' However, Ryan would tragically never wear his uniform again, as what his parents described as a 'tragically unsuccessful surgery' transformed him from a smiling, vibrant person to someone unrecognizable. The operation left him with debilitating side effects - headaches, dark spots floating in his eye sight, double vision and extreme sensitivity. 'He kept saying how bad the pain in his head was,' Ryan's parents told CBS. 'He had a terrible headache and wasn't able to focus, and the vision and the blurriness and everything else - and that just continued.' Desperate for answers, Tim immediately began taking his son from one specialist to another, hoping that one doctor would finally provide relief or a solution. 'It was one disappointment after another,' Tim told WTAE News. At this point, Ryan's parents described him as 'not good', 'disgusted' and 'full of regret', as his vision problems and excruciating pain now prevented him from working in the career he loved. 'Regret was the big thing. Why would they do this to me? Why would they not tell me?' Stefanie explained to CBS, quoting her son. 'He went on social media, he posted his experience,' Tim added. 'They sent us a letter dropping him as a patient.' In January, still without relief or answers, Ryan ended his life. 'Nothing feels right, nothing,' his parents told WTAE, attempting to explain their indescribable pain. 'Can't sleep. Don't eat. Just think about what couple have been,' they added. 'My heart just breaks.' In their immense sadness and grief, the family felt compelled to share their son's story in hopes of reaching others - ultimately bringing light to the potential complications of 'routine' procedures. 'He didn't want anyone else to ever feel the same way, and he wanted people to know the facts,' Stefanie said. 'Ryan would be here,' Tim added. 'All he did was tell the truth.' Hayden Hutchins, a patient who also experienced complications from Lasik, shared Ryan's story to his social media platform, revealing that, although tragic, his experience is unfortunately not unique. 'All these people, Ryan included, like every single story that I hear, it's more or less the same,' Hutchins said, according to CBS. 'This patient was told that they were perfect for this surgery that was completely safe, you know, 99.99 percent success rate,' he added. 'So they were told they were perfect for it, and with that information, they made a decision to go get it.' Tim, who was with Ryan the day of the operation, alleged that the doctor gave them that exact reassurance. Hutchins believes that those who suffer from complications after Lasik - including both himself and Ryan - are oftentimes dismissed. 'When they experienced issues afterwards, most of the time, issues that they were not told about at all, they are met with dismissal, gaslighting, you know, that "They're still healing. They'll be fine. It's nothing to worry about,"' Hutchins added. In a statement to CBS, the Pittsburgh LasikPlus office - whose team performed Ryan's surgery - stated that suicide typically cannot be attributed to one single cause. 'Legal requirements prevent us from speaking to the specifics of any patient, but suicide generally cannot be reduced to any single cause,' the statement said. 'To be clear, there is no clinical evidence linking suicide to Lasik surgery.' 'Each patient is provided with a copy of the informed consent form at the pre-operative appointment for review - typically days in advance of the subsequently scheduled treatment,' it continued. 'The consent form addresses the recognized risks, benefits and alternatives of the proposed procedure.' However, like Hutchins, Tim has publicly pushed back against those attributing his son's death to mental health issues rather than complications from Lasik - including the company itself. 'People are going to watch this and say it's mental health. This wasn't mental health,' Tim told CBS. 'It had nothing to do with mental health, so they are free to judge and say whatever they want to say,' he added. 'I know my son before his surgery and after his surgery were two completely different people.' Morris Waxler, former head of the Food and Drug Administration branch responsible for reviewing data and approving the Lasik operation decades ago, petitioned the FDA to voluntarily recall its approval, WTAE reported. Waxler explained that when he signed off on the procedure, it was under the condition that 100 clinical trials would follow. He left the agency shortly after. In recent years, he petitioned the FDA to withdraw its approval of Lasik - a request that was ultimately denied. Still, he maintains that the complications - as the Kingerski family knows all too well - are very much real. 'They make a slice, and they mess everything up,' Waxler told the outlet. 'They cut nerves, then, in addition, they take out a divot, which removes all the support structure or muscle out of the support section and all of it.' 'Sometimes it grows back, sometimes it doesn't grow back, sometimes it grows back poorly,' he added. 'For some people, it's a bigger problem than others.' In April, the Kingerski family gifted the police department with a touching note and challenge coins in honor of Ryan's memory, serving as a reminder of his service and dedication to his community Nearly 500,000 Americans undergo Lasik each year, and according to the American Refractive Surgery Council, the complication rate is less than one percent - highlighting the procedure's high success rate for a majority of patients. However, Ryan's parents believe that even a single complication is one too many, as they remember the vibrant, joyful son he was before ever stepping onto the operating table. 'I just know a guy who talked about how fabulous his life was and how happy he was,' Stefanie told CBS. 'We now visit in a cemetery.' After Ryan's sudden passing, the Penn Hills Police Advisory Board shared a statement to Facebook, thanking the young officer for his service and friendship. 'Ryan was not only a dedicated and hardworking officer but also a kindhearted friend to many of us,' they said. 'His presence brought positivity, his commitment to duty was unwavering, and his impact on those around him was profound. His loss leaves a void that cannot be filled, and our hearts are truly broken.' In April, the Kingerski family gifted the police department with a touching note and challenge coins in honor of Ryan's memory, serving as a reminder of his service and dedication to his community. 'Ever since he was a little boy, he would always say that he was going to be a policeman,' the note read. 'We couldn't be more proud of the son and brother that he was and the man that he became.' 'We are blessed that he found a home with all of you as a brother and a friend,' it continued. 'Our pain is unbearable and our grief is forever now that he is gone. He had so much more to give and to do.' 'Please carry this token of him with you everyday so that Ryan along with St. Michael may guide and protect you on your journey. Remember him always.' In Ryan's name, Tim and Stefanie are encouraging anyone who has had complications after LASIK to fill out a MedWatch form, which goes straight to the FDA.
CBS News
19-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Penn Hills officer died by suicide after complications from Lasik eye surgery, parents say
At just 26 years old, Ryan Kingerski took a short time off from his job at the Penn Hills Police Department for what's considered an elective eye surgery. But his family says after he got Lasik eye surgery, he suffered from debilitating side effects and took his own life. Tim and Stefanie Kingerski never wanted to welcome TV cameras into their home, but say they raised a loving, joyful and loyal son, and they want people to hear his story. Ryan Kingerski remembered as "witty, charming, smart" To know him was to love him. Ryan Kingerski lit up a room, bringing so much pride to his parents. "Witty, charming, smart, a lot of fun to be around," mom Stefanie said. They say Ryan found joy in all of his relationships: with his friends, his girlfriend and his twin brother. "Just vibrant and full of life. He loved to do stuff with family, friends. He and I played golf on a regular basis, him and his brother spent tons of time together," said dad Tim. Ryan's parents say his passion for police work started as a young boy, idolizing his dad. (Photo: Provided) "They wanted to be policemen since they were little boys. They were always having matchbox cars in each hand and that they'd be a policeman when they grew up," Stefanie said. Once he joined the force, Ryan's parents worried about his safety, but they didn't give a second thought to him getting Lasik eye surgery. "No, we had no thought of that," Stefanie said. "He was very excited because they often tout — Lasik often touts — that you go in and within three days —" "Simple and effective, routine surgery," Tim said. "That he would be back to work in a couple days." But Ryan would never put on his uniform again. Struggling with Lasik surgery's side effects After what his parents describe as a tragically unsuccessful surgery, they say Ryan struggled to resolve debilitating side effects: headaches, floaters, dark spots and double vision. "He kept saying how bad the pain in his head was. He had a terrible headache and wasn't able to focus and the vision and the blurriness and everything else and that just continued." Tim would drive Ryan to appointment after appointment with specialist after specialist, hoping to find someone who could ease Ryan's discomfort. At that point, Ryan's parents said he was "not good," "disgusted" and "full of regret." "Regret was the big thing. 'Why would they do this to me? Why would they not tell me?'" Stefanie said. "'This is a doctor that I trusted.' He went on social media, he posted his experience. They sent us a letter dropping him as a patient," Tim said. In January, Ryan took his own life. "He left us a note that said, 'I can't take this anymore. Lasik took everything from me.' That's the note that we got left," Tim said. "That's what we were left with," Stefanie said. KDKA Investigates reached out to the doctor who operated on Ryan's eyes at the LasikPlus office on McKnight Road, asking if he would sit down for an interview. LasikPlus declined to do an interview, but sent a statement saying, in part: "Legal requirements prevent us from speaking to the specifics of any patient, but suicide generally cannot be reduced to any single cause. To be clear, there is no clinical evidence linking suicide to LASIK eye surgery." And to questions about how LasikPlus addresses any potential risks, the office said: "Each such patient is provided with a copy of the informed consent form at the pre-operative appointment for review -- typically days in advance of the subsequently scheduled treatment. The consent form addresses the recognized risks, benefits and alternatives of the proposed procedure." Social media page shares Lasik stories like Ryan's "People are going to watch this and say it's mental health. This wasn't a mental health," Tim said. "It had nothing to do with mental health, so they are free to judge and say whatever they want to say. I know that my son before his surgery and after his surgery were two completely different people." Ryan's story was shared on a social media platform run by Hayden Hutchins. Hutchins experienced complications from Lasik and now spends hours each day sharing content about Lasik and stories like Ryan's. "Is Ryan's story unique in what you've found?" Meghan asked. "All these people, Ryan included, like every single story that I hear, it's more or less the same, you know? This patient was told that they were perfect for this surgery that was completely safe, you know, 99.99% success rate, so they were told they were perfect for it, and with that information, they made a decision to get it," Hutchins said. Ryan's dad Tim was with him the day of his surgery and alleges that's exactly what the doctor told him. Hutchins believes much like his own experience, people dealing with complications afterward often feel dismissed. "And then when they experienced issues afterwards, most of the time, issues that they were not told about at all, they are met with dismissal, gaslighting, you know, that, 'They're still healing. They'll be fine. It's nothing to worry about,'" Hutchins said. Hutchins' experience changed the trajectory of his life. He's now studying to become an optometrist, with his conversations with Ryan and thousands of others as his motivation. "I just think people deserve to have more information. There's no harm in having more information. If I had seen a page like mine before getting Lasik, I would not have gotten the surgery, and that's what I want to be for other people," Hutchins said. About 500,000 Americans undergo Lasik every year, and the American Refractive Surgery Council says the complication rate is less than 1 percent, pointing out how successful Lasik has been for most people. But if you ask Ryan's parents, one life is too many. "I just know a guy who talked about how fabulous his life was and how happy he was. We now visit in a cemetery," Stefanie said. If you or someone you know might be at risk of suicide, there is help. In the U.S., call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit
