Study: Some See Stars After LASIK
97 Percent Of Patients Would Recommend Procedure
POSTED: 10:14 am CST January 15, 2002
LASIK surgery might not be the miracle sight cure some patients expect, according to a new study.
Nearly one-quarter to one-third of patients who underwent LASIK surgery reported problems seeing at night, a new study reported.But despite the problems, 97 percent of the subjects said they would recommend LASIK to a friend, according to the study, conducted by scientists at Ohio State University.Scientists analyzed data from 605 patients who had undergone LASIK surgery at least six months earlier. Reported vision problems included seeing halos, starbursts and glare surrounding lights -- problems that can affect the quality of vision at night.The study showed that these symptoms may persist in some patients long after the eye heals."We don't know if night vision problems continue indefinitely," said Melissa Bailey, a study co-author and a postdoctoral fellow in vision science at Ohio State. "LASIK hasn't been around long enough or studied deeply enough. Many of the symptoms that occur right after surgery tend to disappear rather quickly.Such symptoms seemed to be linked to having had the surgery repeated, Bailey said."Patients who had undergone the procedure again were generally less happy with the outcomes than those who had the surgery only once, although we're unsure why," said Bailey, who presented the findings in December at the annual American Academy of Optometry meeting in Philadelphia.Ninety-seven percent of the patients in the study said they would recommend LASIK to a friend, in spite of the side effects. Of the patients that would make the recommendation, on average, one out of four experienced some nighttime vision problems, compared to an average of two out of three patients who would not recommend the surgery.More than a million nearsighted Americans elected to undergo LASIK surgery last year in hopes of correcting their eyesight.But the researchers say that older patients, those with flatter corneas and those who needed to have the surgery redone were less likely to be happy with the results.LASIK reshapes the cornea, the clear part at the front of the eye that filters light into the eye. During surgery, a surgeon cuts a flap across the cornea, leaving a "hinge" on one side. The surgeon then pulls the flap back, and uses a laser to shave cells from the cornea, thereby flattening it.The entire process usually takes only a few minutes."Patients need to remember that LASIK is an elective procedure," said Bailey, who advises those with doubts and questions about LASIK to consult an experienced surgeon.
Nearly one-quarter to one-third of patients who underwent LASIK surgery reported problems seeing at night, a new study reported.But despite the problems, 97 percent of the subjects said they would recommend LASIK to a friend, according to the study, conducted by scientists at Ohio State University.Scientists analyzed data from 605 patients who had undergone LASIK surgery at least six months earlier. Reported vision problems included seeing halos, starbursts and glare surrounding lights -- problems that can affect the quality of vision at night.The study showed that these symptoms may persist in some patients long after the eye heals."We don't know if night vision problems continue indefinitely," said Melissa Bailey, a study co-author and a postdoctoral fellow in vision science at Ohio State. "LASIK hasn't been around long enough or studied deeply enough. Many of the symptoms that occur right after surgery tend to disappear rather quickly.Such symptoms seemed to be linked to having had the surgery repeated, Bailey said."Patients who had undergone the procedure again were generally less happy with the outcomes than those who had the surgery only once, although we're unsure why," said Bailey, who presented the findings in December at the annual American Academy of Optometry meeting in Philadelphia.Ninety-seven percent of the patients in the study said they would recommend LASIK to a friend, in spite of the side effects. Of the patients that would make the recommendation, on average, one out of four experienced some nighttime vision problems, compared to an average of two out of three patients who would not recommend the surgery.More than a million nearsighted Americans elected to undergo LASIK surgery last year in hopes of correcting their eyesight.But the researchers say that older patients, those with flatter corneas and those who needed to have the surgery redone were less likely to be happy with the results.LASIK reshapes the cornea, the clear part at the front of the eye that filters light into the eye. During surgery, a surgeon cuts a flap across the cornea, leaving a "hinge" on one side. The surgeon then pulls the flap back, and uses a laser to shave cells from the cornea, thereby flattening it.The entire process usually takes only a few minutes."Patients need to remember that LASIK is an elective procedure," said Bailey, who advises those with doubts and questions about LASIK to consult an experienced surgeon.Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
