FDA Warns LASIK Providers To Discontinue Making False Claims

I had to post this story because I know about 10 friends who have had  Lasik surgery, some with good results and some with bad. One had surgery so she could see the dolphin's under water but after the surgery she couldn't see her sheet music without glasses when she played at church. Think this process through before you have it done. You can also have dry eyes afterwards which require daily drops as another friend has and she's not even 30.

The FDA warned LASIK eye surgery providers to stop making fake safety claims regarding the popular surgery.


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to eye care professionals this week saying that they have 90 days to update any promotional materials that make untrue claims. If they don’t comply, the agency will take regulatory action.
"It's about the false claims and not adequately providing consumers with information about the risks associated with the procedure," said Erica Jefferson, FDA spokeswoman, as quoted by Health Day.
LASIK is a laser eye surgery procedure that shapes the cornea, and it does have small risks involving vision loss, infection, double vision and glare.
According to Eric D. Donnenfeld of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, people interested in LASIK surgery should make sure that they choose a physician that has been board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.
"Choosing the right doctor is the most important thing one can do," said Donnenfeld, as quoted by Health Day. "A lot of patients make a decision based on an ad in a magazine or an audio clip on radio… there are a lot of very good doctors who advertise, but it doesn't mean a doctor is good because he advertises or offers group discounts."
Additionally, some people are not good candidates for LASIK, Donnenfeld pointed out. These people include those with thin or irregular corneas, eye diseases such as dry eye or glaucoma, or cataract.

What is LASIK?
The surgeon folds the hinged flap back out of the way, then removes some corneal tissue underneath using an excimer laser. The excimer laser uses a cool ultraviolet light beam to precisely remove ("ablate") very tiny bits of tissue from the cornea to reshape it.
When the cornea is reshaped in the right way, it works better to focus light into the eye and onto the retina, providing clearer vision than before. The flap is then laid back in place, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed.


For more on LASIK go to:
http://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/lasik.htm