The parents of a 26-year-old police officer said that their son committed suicide after complications from a LASIK vision correction surgery became "unbearable."
The officer was identified as Ryan Kingerski, who experienced double and blurry vision and saw starbursts, floaters, and ghostly rings around objects. He also suffered from dry eyes, eye pain, "terrible headaches," and a "buzzing in his face" after undergoing the procedure, his father said.
Police Officer Dies After Suffering From LASIK Complications
The deceased's family is now speaking out so they can raise awareness regarding the risks of such surgery. Some experts and patients have also issued warnings about the "devastating" potential long-term side effects of LASIK surgery.
The officer's father, Tim Kingerski, said that their experience had been terrible, but they felt that other people should know about what they went through. His son was said to have served in the Penn Hills Police Department for three years.
His parents said that was a job that he had wanted to have since he was a little boy. Tim was also a police officer and Ryan had a twin brother, Jacob, who was on the same career path. Ryan died on Jan. 25, 2025, five months after getting LASIK surgery, according to Today.
The CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr. Stephen D. McLeod, said they do not yet know the clinical details of the late officer's case. However, they do know that death by suicide is complex and is closely linked to depression and emotional trauma.
The medical professional said they do not have concrete details on the role that the LASIK surgery had in the case. However, the death is still tragic and he expressed his condolences to the deceased's family.
Unexpected Side Effects
Before his death, Ryan reportedly took some time off from work in August last year to get the elective eye procedure. Tim said that his son complained about extreme pain in his head and was not able to focus on anything, People reported.
The parents said they took their son to several specialists to see if there was something they could do to reduce the pain and discomfort he felt. LASIKPlus stated the case, noting that legal requirements prevent the company from talking about specifics, but argued that there was no clinical evidence linking suicide to LASIK eye surgery.
Ryan was said to have had a very close relationship with his twin brother and enjoyed playing golf as well as bonding with his friends and girlfriend, as per Fox News.
