LASIK Eye Surgery: Not For Everyone
According to a recent article in the Washington Post, 7.6 million Americans have undergone elective LASIK eye surgery since the mid-1990s. LASIK is a surgical procedure intended to reduce a person's dependency on glasses or contact lenses. LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis and is a process that permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye. The surgery involves cutting a small flap in the eye's cornea using a laser. With the flap held out of the way, the surgeon can then reshape the cornea with another laser to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and select cases of astigmatism.
While the vast majority benefit -- most see 20-20 or better -- about one in four people who seeks LASIK is not a good candidate. A small fraction, perhaps 1 percent or less, suffer serious, life changing side-effects, such as: worse vision, severe dry eye, glare, and inability to drive at night.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Ophthalmic Devices Panel convened in Washington last month to discuss post-LASIK quality of life issues. At the conclusion of the meeting, the panel recommended that the FDA warn more clearly about the risks of elective LASIK surgery. The FDA advisers suggested clearer warnings regarding LASIK surgery that include adding photographs to illustrate what people suffering certain side effects actually see, such as glare that can make oncoming headlights a "starburst" of light. Other recommendations include clarifying how often patients suffer certain side effects, such as dry eye; and clarifying the conditions that should disqualifying a person from undergoing LASIK, such as large pupils or extreme nearsightedness.
Although the FDA reaffirms that LASIK eye surgery is both safe and effective, the procedure is clearly not for everyone. Certain conditions and circumstances completely preclude individuals from being candidates for LASIK surgery. Non-candidates include individuals who:
- Have diseases such as cataracts, advanced glaucoma, corneal diseases, corneal thinning disorders, or certain other pre-existing eye diseases that affect or threaten vision.
- Do not give informed consent. It is absolutely necessary that candidates adequately discuss the procedure and its benefits and risks with their surgeon, and provide the appropriate consent prior to undergoing the surgery.
- Have unrealistic expectations. It is critical for candidates to understand that laser eye surgery, as all surgical procedures, involves some risk. In addition, both the final outcome of surgery and the rate of healing vary from person to person and even from eye to eye in each individual.
For a full list of LASIK surgery eligibility guidelines for patients, see the Eye Surgery Education Council.
For information about your legal rights, please click here or call the law firm of Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.