Young police officer dies by suicide after 'debilitating' laser eye surgery complications

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

His parents blame their son's suicide on the "debilitating" side effects he experienced, but vision experts claim that the procedure is generally "safe and effective."

Ryan Kingerski, 26, a young officer with the Penn Hills Police Department, was "funny and witty — just a genuine person," according to Tim and Stefanie Kingerski, who spoke with Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview. (See the video at the top of this article.)

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"Ryan would always try and help in some way, even if it was a stranger," Stefanie Kingerski said. "He was just a very sincere person — he meant what he said and he said what he meant. He was passionate."

Ryan was very close with his twin brother, Jacob, as they both followed in their father’s footsteps to enter law enforcement. He enjoyed playing golf and spending time with his friends and girlfriend, his parents said. 

In August 2024, he underwent LASIK eye surgery, a decision that "changed his life forever," according to the Kingerskis.

He had worn glasses and contacts since middle school, but he opted for the surgery so that he wouldn’t need them anymore.

"My son was told he would go in, have the procedure and be back to work in a couple of days," said Tim Kingerski. "That never happened."

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On the way home from the surgery, Ryan said that "something wasn’t right," complaining that his right eye was blurry.

"We told him to give it some time, but it just got worse," his father said.

As the weeks progressed, the young man suffered from a litany of symptoms, including severe headaches, double vision, starbursts, ghosting, halos and other visual disturbances, his parents said. 

"It ruined his life. It debilitated him."

"It was complication after complication and no improvement," Stefanie Kingerski said. "We made continuous efforts to see different specialists, trying to get different opinions … They just kept saying he needed to heal."

Ryan’s mother claimed the laser surgery left her son with "higher-order aberrations," which are distortions in the eye that cause visual disturbances. 

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

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

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As the effects got worse, Ryan withdrew from the activities he once loved and became very reserved, his parents said.

In Jan. 2025, five months after the surgery, he took his own life.

"The note that we got left was: 'LASIK took everything from me. I can't take it anymore,'" Tim Kingerski said. "It ruined his life. It debilitated him."

Ryan’s parents are adamant that his suicide was not the result of preexisting mental health issues.

"If this was a mental health issue and something my son was dealing with before, I wouldn't be talking about this," said Tim Kingerski. "But there's only one reason he's not here."

The Kingerskis have since connected with other families who have had similar experiences. "We hear from people constantly who just say, ‘I don't know if I can do this anymore. I don't know if I can take it,’" Ryan’s father said.

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Ryan's parents now aim to raise awareness and are calling for "transparency and accountability." They have also filed a complaint with the FDA.

In an email provided to Fox News Digital, the FDA acknowledged to the Kingerskis that they had learned about the "horrific laser LASIK incident with Ryan Kingerski." They also stated that while hospitals and clinics are required to report associated deaths and injuries, they do not always do so.

"What we're really looking for is accountability from the industry."

"The FDA inspector commented he has been following these laser LASIK incidences for several years," the email stated. "He explained there is under-reporting by the Ophthalmic Clinics because they are not submitting the required patient injuries to the FDA."

(Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA for comment on this statement.)

"What we're really looking for is accountability from the industry," said Stefanie Kingerski. "We want the FDA to step up, start investigating, start looking deeper, start finding out what the long-term effects are."

"The implied consent is just a piece of paper that they give you without explaining," Tim Kingerski noted. 

"The consent form should say that LASIK can and has caused permanent damage that makes you want to kill yourself, because that is a fact."

He added, "People are being hurt every day by something that is touted as safe and effective, which we can tell you it's not."

Previous suicides have been reported following laser eye surgeries. 

In 2018, Jessica Starr, a Michigan meteorologist, took her own life two months after the procedure. She had experienced chronic dry eye and blurry vision, according to local reports.

Starr left behind video journals detailing her struggles, saying she had lived "six weeks of hell."

In 2016, a Texas college student, Max Cronin, committed suicide at age 27. His obituary states that his death was the result of "devastating complications from an elective laser eye surgery."

Industry reps speak out

Dr. James Kelly, M.D., a renowned refractive surgeon specialist and comprehensive ophthalmologist in New York City, said he is not aware of peer-reviewed literature that reports higher rates of suicide in patients who have had LASIK versus the same matched population demographics that have not had the procedure.

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"The most common side effect is 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 to patients who are having eye problems is to seek the care of an experienced professional, and the same is true for anyone experiencing mental health conditions."

The Refractive Surgery Council, an organization that aims to "help people make informed decisions about their vision correction choices," spoke to Fox News Digital in defense of these procedures.

"An enormous body of scientific data supports LASIK as both safe and effective for those who are good candidates, a fact the FDA has repeatedly affirmed and validated with independent research," a spokesperson said.

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For those considering a vision correction procedure, the council recommends being "as informed as possible," which includes understanding whether they are a good candidate, choosing the right surgeon and having a thorough conversation with the care team.

"As with all surgical procedures, there is a risk of side effects and complications from LASIK," the spokesperson noted. 

"Clinical research finds serious sight-threatening LASIK complications occur in less than 1% of patients."

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) also commented to Fox News Digital about the situation.

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"While we don’t know the clinical details of Ryan’s case, we do know that the answer to the question of why a person chooses to die by suicide is complex and most often related to depression and emotional trauma," said Stephen D. McLeod, M.D., CEO of the AOO.

"As with all surgical procedures, there is a risk [of] side effects and complications from LASIK."

"We have no idea what role LASIK itself might have played. Regardless, this is a tragedy, and our hearts go out to Ryan Kingerski’s family."

The academy noted that while "most patients" are good candidates, "LASIK is not for everyone." 

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"The academy recommends patients talk with their ophthalmologist to understand the potential risks and to ensure they are a good candidate," McLeod advised. "An ophthalmologist is the most qualified physician to advise patients on all types of refractive surgery."

Fox News Digital reached out to LASIK and to the FDA requesting comment.