LASIK Worries? Some May See Better with Alternatives

Although the lask procedure as the primary method of keratorefractive surery has been under scrutiny recently it remains the mainstay of refractive surgery.  With a 95% approval it is difficult to critisize its effectiveness. However the 5% patient complaints must be addressed.  The risk of creating an unstable cornea by excessive thinning is minimized by careful pre-operative selection. ...

The FDA report and scrutiny of LASIK complaints reveals what consientious LASIK surgeons have known for years:  Not everyone who walks through your doors is a good lasik candidate and you should not laser everyone.  About 1 out of 4 patients that consider lasik are actually good candidates for the procedure.  Surface ablation, or lens implants are of course other procedures that can...

I welcome the FDA investigation of LASIK, as thousands of patients are undergoing the elective cosmetic procedure, with some achieving less than optimum results.  Will the study show that LASIK is not safe, or will it show that LASIK is not the real issue, rather that patient selection is the true issue?

The media reporting on the FDA hearings on LASIK has generally highlighted unhappy patients' stories and the comments of FDA officials and panel members.  However, The Washington Post's Lauran Neergard has written an insightful article that foresees an important future trend in refractive surgery.  She correctly notes that the key to a successful outcome is finding a surgeon who does not...