SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Patients who
have had laser vision correction now have a better chance of
getting positive results from the surgery, according to the
nonprofit Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance
(www.usaeyes.org), which evaluates patient outcomes and certifies
Lasik surgeons. The organization said a review of U.S. Food and
Drug Administration clinical trials, peer-reviewed data and
individual patient outcomes indicates that 90 percent of patients
who have had all types of refractive surgery, including Lasik and
lens implants, achieve 20/40 vision or better, and 65 percent
achieve 20/20 vision.
The positive change is attributed to
improved technology, refined techniques, new procedures and better
patient selection.
The analysis included nearsighted,
farsighted, all available types of refractive surgery including
laser and lens implants and all types of patients.
Approximately 3 percent of patients
had some sort of unresolved complication six months after surgery,
with 0.5 percent of those problems serious enough to require
extensive maintenance or invasive correction.