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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Had LASIK, Headache, Occipital Lobe Pain, Neck Stiffness, Eye Pain. Occipital Neuralgia?

Hi, I had lasik 6/19/12. During the Alegretto procedure, I did not feel anything until the flap was being smoothed back in place on my right eye. I could feel pain with the pressure (5 out of 10). When I went home to rest (I was told to just take a nap) I had significant pain to my R eye. About a 7.5 out of 10.(counter intuitive to napping) I phoned to see if this was normal, and was told it was. I felt pretty pain free until about a month later when I started getting headaches . . . I still get them about once a week. I was told they are cluster headaches. (very painful) I will be having an MRI next week to help R/O other etiologies. I do not have facial pain, or nausea with the HAs. I have been reading about occipital neuralgia . I feel these are the symptoms I am having. Especially with occipital lobe pain, neck stiffness/pain, and R eye pain. Is it possible the doctor could have damaged my occipital nerve pressing on my newly fried eye during lasik? And maybe I didn t feel pain the first month as the nerve was healing . . . . I dunno . . . what are your thoughts? This is all new for me. I rarely even got garden variety HAs before lasik, and now I have these horrible episodes which have literally changed my life. (had to quit job) And furthermore I am back in glasses d/t unsuccessful outcome.
Fri, 19 Oct 2012
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Neurologist 's  Response
Hi,

I can understand your discomfort because of repeated headaches and the unsuccessful outcome of LASIK.

However, I would like to reassure you that the chance of any nerve damage during LASIK is remote. Also, the fact that regular headaches started almost a month after the procedure rules out any role of eye procedure in causing the headaches.

Headaches are unrelated to the eye problem/procedure and could be due to migraine/cluster headache. I hope your MRI comes as normal.

Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology)
Senior consultant Neurologist
Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad
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Had LASIK, Headache, Occipital Lobe Pain, Neck Stiffness, Eye Pain. Occipital Neuralgia?

Hi, I can understand your discomfort because of repeated headaches and the unsuccessful outcome of LASIK. However, I would like to reassure you that the chance of any nerve damage during LASIK is remote. Also, the fact that regular headaches started almost a month after the procedure rules out any role of eye procedure in causing the headaches. Headaches are unrelated to the eye problem/procedure and could be due to migraine/cluster headache. I hope your MRI comes as normal. Best wishes, Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology) Senior consultant Neurologist Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad