A man died by suicide after experiencing extreme side effects from a common surgery.
Ryan Kingerski, a 26-year-old police officer from Pennsylvania, had taken leave from his role at the Penn Hills Police Department in August 2024 to undergo LASIK - short for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.
Marketed as a quick fix for vision correction, the surgery is the most commonly performed laser eye procedure in the US, often described as a low-risk alternative to glasses or contacts.
But within five months, Ryan’s life had unraveled under the weight of unexpected and debilitating side effects.
“He was very excited because they often tout - LASIK often touts - that you go in and within three days…” his mother, Stefanie, told CBS News.
His father, Tim, added, “Simple and effective routine surgery... that he would be back to work in a couple days.” That day never came.
Instead of returning to the job he loved, the police officer experienced a cascade of brutal symptoms: double vision, severe headaches, floaters, dark spots, and extreme light sensitivity.
“He kept saying how bad the pain in his head was,” his parents recalled. “He had a terrible headache and wasn’t able to focus, and the vision and the blurriness and everything else - and that just continued.”
Despite the father's efforts to find answers, “it was one disappointment after another,” he told WTAE. Ryan’s mental health deteriorated under the relentless discomfort and failed treatments.
“Regret was the big thing. Why would they do this to me? Why would they not tell me?” the mom questioned.
In January 2025, Kingerski ended his life. He left behind a heartbreaking note that read, “I can't take this anymore. LASIK took everything from me.”
His father confirmed: “That’s the note that we got left. It just... it ruined his life. Ruined it. Completely ruined his life in 12 seconds.”
Though LASIK is considered overwhelmingly safe, with a reported complication rate of less than one percent according to the American Refractive Surgery Council, the small number of patients who do experience serious side effects can be left devastated.
The UK's NHS lists potential complications including retinal detachment, permanent vision loss, and under- or over-correction of vision, and requiring a second operation. Other long-term risks may involve early onset cataracts and posterior capsule opacification (PCO).
Morris Waxler, a former FDA official who helped greenlight LASIK, now campaigns against it. “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 told The New York Post.
“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,” Waxler added. “Sometimes it grows back, sometimes it doesn’t grow back, sometimes it grows back poorly. For some people, it’s a bigger problem than others.”
To make matters worse, Ryan’s parents claim that LASIKPlus in Pittsburgh, where the surgery was performed, dropped him as a patient after he posted about his experience online.
The clinic responded in a statement to CBS: “Suicide generally cannot be reduced to any single cause,” and insisted that patients receive informed consent.
Online, Ryan’s story has been amplified by others like Hayden Hutchins, who also faced complications post-surgery.
“All these people, Ryan included, like every single story that I hear, it's more or less the same,” he said. Hutchins believes many patients are “dismissed” or “gaslit” when they report problems.
In April, the Penn Hills Police Department honored Ryan’s memory with challenge coins and a heartfelt Facebook tribute: “Ryan was not only a dedicated and hardworking officer but also a kindhearted friend to many of us… His loss leaves a void that cannot be filled, and our hearts are truly broken.”
“We couldn’t be more proud of the son and brother that he was and the man that he became,” his family wrote. “Our pain is unbearable, and our grief is forever now that he is gone.”
Stefanie and Tim are now urging others to carefully research LASIK and to report adverse effects through the FDA’s MedWatch platform.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.