Young police officer takes his life after suffering debilitating side effects from Lasik eye surgery
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.
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