Surgeon reveals three common medical procedures she would never recommend due to the risk of horrific side effects

A top surgeon has revealed three medical procedures she has undergone that she would not recommend to others due to the debilitating side effects.

Dr. Erin Nance, an orthopedic specialist from New York, says the first procedure she advises against is Lasik eye surgery.

She said that although she now has perfect vision, she suffered excruciating eye pain every morning and evening for months after having surgery earlier last year.

During Lasik surgery, a special type of cutting laser is used to change the shape of the cornea (the transparent, dome-shaped front part of your eye) to correct blurred vision.

The procedure can cause dry eyes because when the flap in the cornea is cut, the nerves responsible for tear production can become damaged, leading to a feeling of dry eyes, especially during the healing process.

Dr. Nance said in a TikTok video, “So, for what it’s worth, I’ve never had eye pain and now I have eye pain on a daily basis, so that’s why I personally wouldn’t recommend it (Lasik).”

Up to 95 percent of Lasik patients experience dry eye symptoms immediately after surgery, and 60 percent experience them a month later.

However, symptoms of chronic dry eyes are uncommon after one year.

Dr. Nance added, “I feel like I’ve been sleeping in my lenses every morning and every night. No problems during the day… I don’t even think about my eyes (and) I have perfect eyesight.

“But for whatever reason, when I wake up and start around 7 p.m., I just have horrible, horrible dry eye pain.’

Next on her list of medical no-go choices is taking eyelash-strengthening medications.

Bimatoprost, marketed under the brand name Latisse, works by mimicking the natural chemical in our bodies that stimulates hair growth for our eyelashes.

When applied regularly along the lash line of the upper eyelid, the prescribed drug gradually stimulates the growth of longer, thicker and darker eyelashes.

Dr. Nance admits that she noticed an improvement in the first few weeks and that her lashes looked “amazing.”

But three months after applying the liquid to her upper eyelids, Dr. Nance said she noticed an unpleasant side effect, with the fat pads under her eyes wasting away.

She explained: ‘What I wasn’t aware of is that one of the side effects (of using Latisse) is something called periorbital fat atrophy or fat loss.

‘(This is) where the fat that is under the eyes can become thinner and it makes your eyes look deeper and I have definitely noticed that.

“I’ve never had such a bruise on my face.”

After experiencing fat loss under her eyes, Dr. Nance says she would not recommend Latisse to others.

According to consultancy Grand View Research, the global eyelash serum market size was estimated to be worth US$897.9 million in 2023, and is expected to grow further as the ‘increasing popularity of non-invasive beauty treatments’ drives this trend .

A Grand View Research report on the eyelash serum market found that despite its popularity, Latisse “has faced challenges due to concerns about potential side effects, leading to growing interest in alternative products that use safer ingredients.”

Some of the most commonly reported side effects of Latisse include itchy eyes, dry eyes, darkening of the eyelid skin, and abnormal hair growth.

Although this is uncommon, changes in eye color have also been reported.

This is because Latisse contains the active ingredient bimatoprost – a type of chemical known as prostaglandin – which is known to cause changes in eye color.

Mail on Sunday health journalist Leah Hardy reported this shocking side effect after an experiment with Latisse in 2015.

Raman Malhotra, an eye surgeon at the Queen Victoria Hospital in West Sussex, told her at the time: ‘The color of the eyes in adults normally only changes if they suffer from chronic eye infections or if they have an eye injury.

‘However, bimatoprost can increase the amount of brown pigment in the eye by stimulating pigment production.’

Finally, Dr. Nance advises against removing permanent retainers prematurely.

Permanent retainers are orthodontic appliances that hold teeth in place after braces or Invisalign.

They are usually made of single pieces of metal wire or strong fibers, which are attached to the upper and lower rows of teeth with a special bonding agent.

Dr. Nance said she had permanent braces installed at age 21 after having braces as a teenager.

But she said she was tired of having to do constant dental work and didn’t see the long-term benefit.

She revealed, “At the time, all I was thinking was, ‘Okay, I’m done!’

“You know, just like when I kissed my boyfriend in college, I didn’t want these permanent braces in the back of my teeth… so I asked them to remove them.”

Because the braces were removed prematurely, Dr. Nance’s teeth shifted back to their original “wobbly” position.

Admitting her mistake, she concludes, “Now that I watch every video I make of myself on TikTok, I see how my teeth have returned exactly to how they were before I got braces.

“I didn’t know my teeth would move back if I removed the permanent retainer, so that’s the third thing I would never do.”

So far, Dr. Nance’s TikTok video has racked up more than 5,000 comments, with many viewers sharing their own horror stories.

One commenter wrote: ‘I would never insert an IUD again without anesthesia or pain relief. I had less pain after the endometriosis excision surgery. We need better for women’s health!’

Another viewer, also in the medical field, added: ‘Bunion surgery! I’ve never had it done, but every patient I’ve seen since says they had the surgery for cosmetic improvement and were left with daily foot pain.”