The young police officer dies from suicide after complications of laser ocular surgery “weakening”

A young man of Pennsylvania recently took his life, months after he underwent corrective laser ocular surgery.

His parents blame his child’s suicide for the “weakening” side effects he experienced, but vision experts affirm that the procedure is generally “safe and effective.”

Ryan Kingerski, 26, a young officer of the Penn Hills Police Department, was “fun and ingenious, just a genuine person,” according to Tim and Stefanie Kingerski, who spoke with News Digital during an interview in the camera. (See the video at the top of the article).

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“Ryan would always try to help in some way, even if he were a stranger,” said Stefanie Kingerski. “He was a very sincere person: he referred to what he said and said what he meant. He was passionate.”

Ryan was very close to his twin brother, Jacob, since both followed in his father’s footsteps to enter the police. He liked playing golf and spending time with their friends and girlfriend, their parents shared.

In August 2025, Ryan underwent Lasik Eye Surgery, a decision that “changed his life forever,” according to the Kingerskis.

Ryan had used glasses and contacts since high school, but opted for surgery so that he no longer needed them.

“My son was told to enter, he would have the procedure and return to work in a couple of days,” said Tim Kingerski. “That never happened.”

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On the way home from surgery, Ryan said that “something was not right,” complaining that his right eye was blurred.

“We told him to give it some time, but worsened,” said his father.

As the weeks advanced, Ryan suffered a litany of symptoms, including severe headaches, double vision, stellar, ghosts, halos and other visual disorders.

“He ruined his life. He weakened him.”

“It was complication after complication and without improvements,” said Stefanie Kingerski. “We made continuous efforts to see different specialists, trying to obtain different opinions.”

“They just kept saying that I needed to heal.”

Ryan’s mother said that laser surgery had left her son with “higher order aberrations”, which are distortions in the eye that cause visual alterations.

A corneal specialist said Ryan had very thin corneas, which should have ruled out surgery.

“In a nutshell, he was not a candidate, and they should have caught that and they should have warned him,” said his mother.

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As the effects worsened, Ryan retired from the activities he once loved and became very reserved, his parents said.

In January 2025, five months after surgery, Ryan took his life.

“The note we stayed was: ‘Lasik took me everything. I can’t stand it anymore,” said Tim Kingerski. “He ruined his life. He weakened him.”

Ryan’s parents insist that their suicide was not the result of pre -existing mental health problems.

“If this were a mental health problem and something that my son was fighting before, he would not be talking about this,” said Tim Kingerski. “But there is only one reason why it is not here.”

Since then, the Kingerskis have connected with other families that have had similar experiences. “We listen to people constantly who only say: ‘I don’t know if I can do this anymore. I don’t know if I can take it,” said Ryan’s father.

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Ryan’s parents now aim to raise awareness and are asking for “transparency and responsibility.” They have also filed a complaint with the FDA.

“What we are really looking for is the responsibility of the industry,” said Stefanie Kingerski. “We want the FDA to intensify, begin to investigate, begin to look deeper, begin to discover what the long -term effects are.”

“Implicit consent is just a role that gives you without explaining,” said Tim Kingerski. “The consent form must say that Lasik can and has caused permanent damage that makes you want to commit suicide, because that is a fact.”

“People are being hurt every day for something that is promoted as safe and effective, which we can tell him that it is not.”

Previous suicides have been informed after laser eye surgeries.

In 2018, Jessica Starr, Michigan’s meteorologist, took his life two months after the procedure. He had experienced chronic dry eye and blurred vision, according to local reports.

Starr left video newspapers detailed their struggles, saying that he had lived “six weeks of hell.”

In 2016, a University student of Texas, Max Cronin, committed suicide at the age of 27. His obituary establishes that his death was the result of “devastating complications of elective laser ocular surgery.”

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Dr. James Kelly, MD, a famous specialist in refractive surgeons and integral ophthalmologist in New York City, said he is not aware of the literature reviewed by peers that reports higher suicide rates in patients who have had lasik versus the same demography of the coincident population that has not had the procedure.

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“The most common side effect is the dry eye, for which there are many effective treatments, and the condition often improves in the several months after the procedure,” he said.

“The most important message for patients who have eye problems is to seek care of an experienced professional, and the same is true for anyone who experiences mental health conditions.”

The Refractive Surgery Council, an organization that aims to “help people make informed decisions about their vision correction options,” he spoke with News Digital in defense of these procedures.

“A huge scientific data body supports Lasik as safe and effective for those who are good candidates, a fact that the FDA has repeatedly affirmed and validated with an independent investigation,” said a spokesman.

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For those who consider a vision correction procedure, the Council recommends being “as informed as possible”, which includes understanding if they are a good candidate, choosing the right surgeon and having an exhaustive conversation with the care team.

“As with all surgical procedures, there is a risk of side effects and complications of LASIK,” said the spokesman. “Clinical research finds serious complications of LASIK that threaten the view in less than 1% of patients.”

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The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) also told News Digital about the situation.

“While we do not know the clinical details of Ryan’s case, we do know that the answer to the question of why a person chooses to die from suicide is complex already relates to depression and emotional trauma,” said Stephen D. McLeod, MD, CEO of AOO.

“As with all surgical procedures, there is the risk of side effects and complications of LASIK.”

“We have no idea what role I could have played Lasik.

The Academy said that while “most patients” are good candidates, “Lasik is not for everyone.”

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“The Academy recommends that patients talk to their ophthalmologist to understand potential risks and make sure they are a good candidate,” McLeod advised. “An ophthalmologist is the most qualified doctor to advise patients on all types of refractive surgery.”

News Digital contacted Lasik and the FDA requesting comments.