Brush Up on Your Statistics When Eyeing LASIK Surgery

Filed in archive Statistics on February 20, 2010

turn to clear vision
Originally uploaded by SpecialKRB

LASIK refractive surgery with its reported high quality of lifestyle improvement and its touted low complication rate has become commonplace when it comes to correcting vision. But before eyeing this procedure, its best to gather statistics from every reputable source you can find to see if it's right for you. There is no one, all-knowing authority on LASIK. Many publications and websites out there are sponsored by medical groups or doctors that have a vested interest in making LASIK appealing to the consumer, so it's important that you do your homework before you let the eyes have it.

The concept of LASIK was introduced to researchers selected by the FDA in 1992, approved as a procedure with selected excimer lasers in 1995, and has been practiced for at least 15 years in the U.S., though internationally for longer.

Over 3 million people in the U.S. have had LASIK since 1995, with more than 85% claiming it improved their overall quality of life. In this analysis by the Eye Surgery Education Council, or ESEC, 93% of LASIK patients were satisfied with the results, with 87% feeling that the surgery met or exceeded their expectations, and 73% regretting not getting the surgery sooner.

A DocShop.com article about LASIK states that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that complications occur in 1-5% of LASIK patients, with 1.7% affected by glare and light sensitivity, 2.6% experiencing visual fluctuations, 3.5% reporting halos around light sources, and 3% saying that vision after LASIK was worse.

Perhaps a better study of LASIK eye surgery's effects on patients' quality of life is the USAEyes CORE LASIK patient survey at the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) website.

The American Association of Professional Eyecare Specialists reports that 55.3% of LASIK patients achieve 20/20 vision or better, while 92.6% achieve 20/40 or better. (Remember that the latter figure includes the former figure.)

Statistics seem to vary. The ESEC states that less than 1% of LASIK patients have experienced complications or serious vision impairment, and 3-5% experience less serious problems that are solvable by further procedures or treatment.

While there does seem to be some disparity in the different sets of statistics, you can get a pretty good idea of what to expect if you access the many reputable sources available. So when it comes to considering any surgery, don't hesitate…investigate.