Ryan Kingerski, a 26-year-old police officer from Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, sadly passed away in January after struggling with severe complications following an elective eye surgery.
He had undergone Lasik surgery in the summer, a procedure usually meant to improve vision.
However, in the months that followed, Ryan experienced intense pain, double vision, and constant headaches.
These ongoing health issues deeply affected his well-being and ultimately led him to take his own life.
In a note he left behind, he pointed to the eye surgery as the reason for his suffering.
Before becoming an officer, Ryan was a talented hockey player.
He attended Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, where he played as a forward for the Central Catholic Vikings during the 2016–2017 season in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL).
He stood out as one of the top players in Western Pennsylvania and earned a place in the PA Hockey Top 25 rankings that season.
Ryan Kingerski’s Parents Share Their Son’s Struggle With LASIK Complications And Urge Others To Report Adverse Effects To The FDA
Ryan’s parents, Tim and Stefanie Kingerski, spoke about their son’s experience, recalling how optimistic he was about the surgery.
They had no reason to think anything would go wrong.
He constantly spoke about the intense pain in his head and the ongoing vision issues.
He struggled to focus, and the blurriness only worsened with time.
As his condition deteriorated, his parents began a desperate search for help, taking him to specialist after specialist.
According to his father, it was a string of letdowns, with no real answers. Ryan’s condition affected more than just his health, and it also forced him to step away from the police work he loved, leaving him frustrated and full of regret.
Regret was the big thing. Why would they do this to me? Why would they not tell me?’
Stefanie Kingerski
After his passing, Ryan’s parents shared how deeply life had changed for them.
Daily routines became difficult, and their sense of normalcy was lost.
Despite their heartbreak, they felt a strong need to speak about Ryan’s experience, not only to honor his memory but also to help others better understand the risks that can come with specific medical procedures.
They hope that by telling Ryan’s story, more people will become aware of the possible outcomes that aren’t often discussed.
Similarly, Ryan Kingerski’s family has been clear about how they view the changes he underwent following his eye surgery.
According to them, the difficulties he experienced were directly tied to the physical complications from the procedure, not a preexisting mental health condition.
His father shared that Ryan’s personality, mood, and daily functioning shifted noticeably after the surgery.
He emphasized that Ryan was a different person before the operation, active, engaged, and happy in his work and personal life.
The challenges that followed the surgery, including ongoing discomfort and vision problems, significantly affected his overall state and well-being.
In honor of their son, Tim and Stefanie Kingerski are urging anyone who has experienced complications following LASIK surgery to fill out a MedWatch form and report their cases.
This form is submitted directly to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), helping to raise awareness of potential risks and gather data on adverse effects related to the procedure.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- In April, the Kingerski family honored their son’s memory by writing a heartfelt note to the police department.
- Hayden Hutchins, a patient who also faced complications from LASIK surgery, shared Ryan’s story on his social media platform.
- In Ryan’s final season (2016-2017), Ryan had an outstanding performance, scoring 18 goals and 19 assists in 19 games, totaling 37 points.
