New risks in Lasik procedure?

Although Lasik eye surgery has relieved 8 million Americans of the need to wear glasses or contact lenses, new concerns about surgical risks are being raised on the eve of its 10-year anniversary.

New findings show that people who are not suitable candidates for the procedure for a variety of reasons are at greater risk for a problem during the surgery. With up to 700,000 Americans going under the knife each year, that leaves substantial room for mishap.

General eligibility requires patients to have a consistent glasses or contact lens prescription for at least two years and limits candidates to those over 18 years old.

Qualities that make candidates less ideal include dry eyes or scarring of the cornea, according to the Eye Surgery Education Council.

In response to recent media attention about complications that arise from the surgery, the Food and Drug Administration plans to provide new graphics and text to make the risks of this surgical procedure more explicit to candidates.

Measures include providing photographs of what halo vision - a possible side effect that makes a person see rings of light around bright light sources - might look like.

The FDA cites dry eyes, loss of vision, glare, halos and double vision as possible risks of the procedure, acknowledging that it is relatively new and that studies on the long-term effects are not available yet.

Although complications from the surgery might be debilitating, the odds of problems are low.

Up to 92.6 percent of patients leave the operating room with 20/40 vision or better, and up to half enjoy 20/20 or better, according to a study by the American Association of Professional Eyecare Specialists.

The Eye Surgery Education Council puts the risk of severe complications at less than 1 percent.

College junior David Weinreb, who after 12 years of nearsightedness got the procedure this January, said he would recommend Lasik surgery to most people, as long as they consider the potential risks.

"You have to have a certain medical capacity to say I'm going to have surgery" with real risks, he said.

Improving from 80/20 vision to 20/15, Weinreb described the transition as "unbelievable," once the short term side effects of halo vision and light sensitivity subsided.

Among the most important things Lasik candidates can do to ensure their own safety is ask questions, Weinreb said.

During the time in which he experienced halo vision at night, Weinreb wasn't worried about the side effects being permanent because he was in regular communication with his doctor, who explained what to expect in detail.

For those concerned about complications, surgery can be performed one eye at a time, using contact lenses to maintain consistent vision in both eyes between operations.

And for success stories like Weinreb, the procedure has huge benefits, like being able to see at those "strange times" he couldn't wear glasses, like in the shower or the swimming pool.

Comments (7)

These Lasik risks are not new, but the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is taking another look at a patient's quality of life after Lasik. I work for a nonprofit Lasik patient advocacy. We do not provide Lasik, just Lasik information and we certify Lasik doctor's patient outcomes. On April 25th the FDA conducted a hearing about Lasik and how changes in patient information may be beneficial. On behalf of our organization I presented the preliminary results from the USAEyes Competence Opinion Relative to Expectations (CORE) patient survey. The USAEyes CORE patient survey asks patients many questions, all based around whether or not the patient's results were what was expected. By and large, Lasik patients get what they expect, but not always. ¥ 99% of responding Lasik patients report quality of life as expected, better, or much better after Lasik. ¥ 98% report no complications or issues are seldom problematic. ¥ 97% would have surgery again, knowing what they know now. ¥ 2% report complications that are frequently or always problematic; however 22% of this 2% would have surgery again. Newer techniques and technology have improved Lasik results since it first appeared about a decade ago, but all surgery has risks even if those risks are relatively rare. You can review the entire presentation by visiting http://www.FDA.gov and searching �?USAEyes CORE Lasik Survey�? Glenn Hagele Executive Director http://www.USAEyes.org I am not a doctor

LasikExpert is a wolf in sheeps clothing with nothing more than a high school diploma. Read all about him and the scam that he operates on the front page of lasikdisaster.com, lasikpimp.com, and usaeyes.us He has a long history of harassing, threatening, and attempting to blackmail and intimidate damaged LASIK patients. He hides the truth about LASIK complications. The medical literature reports that chronic dry eyes and night vision impairment occur frequently after LASIK. A report of data from FDA clinical trials for LASIK, including current technology, shows that six months after LASIK, 17.5% of patients reported halos, 19.7% reported glare, 19.3% had night-driving problems and 21% complained of dry eyes. Moreover, the LASIK flap only heals to 2% of the cornea's original tensile strength, and the biomechanical strength of the cornea is permanently reduced by about 50% after LASIK. LASIK patients face problems with glaucoma screening, future cataract surgery, and persistent decrease in corneal cells called keratocytes which are vital to the health and function of the cornea. You can read more about LASIK risks and long-term complications on my website at www.lasikcomplications.com

It is always very important to do all the research necessary and talk to as many vision care providers as possible before you undergo any procedure, especially Lasik eye surgery. Lasik is for a very specific segment of people. I am always happy when I see the FDA is looking into regulation of certain procedures because that means they should improve in quality over time.

If I go to South Africa for medical tourism, can I find Lasik Surgery at affordable rates? And is South Africa even a safe option? I�?ve heard mixed reviews.

Medical tourisim has a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. While the lower cost of surgery away from home may seem an enticing benefit, Lasik is more of a six month process than a 20-Minute Miracle. You will need preoperative evaluations, the surgery, postoperative care, and several follow-up appointments over a period of months. If you have sudden eye pain six weeks after surgery, who would you call and where would you go? It is possible to co-manage the preoperative and postoperative care with a local doctor, but you will need to pay for those services and this can make the primary reason for foreign surgery - cost - less enticing. South Africa certainly has modern technology and respected surgeons, but surgery with the convenience of the surgeon nearby may be a much wiser choice. You may want to visit our website and search there for "foreign surgery" for a detailed article. Glenn Hagele Executive Director http://www.USAEyes.org I am not a doctor

Many people have looked abroad for LASIK surgery, especially to Canada as the prices were much cheaper then in the states. However it is very important that people do their own research and understand the risks and possible side effects. Further from home places such as Thailand and India are now popular for many medical services including Lasik. And while there are many hospitals there that offer state of the art equipment and doctors, patients must realize that they are not under as strict government regulations as here in the US. As always, do your homework first.

to a secret weapon, Shrek. Sales are up 50 percent according to the Vidalia Onion Committee, a group of a 99 growers of the sweet onio

Comments are closed for this item.