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The safety claims of laser eye surgery clinics, one of the
fastest growing areas of cosmetic surgery, may be misleading,
according to investigations.
While many clinics claim that the surgery is close to risk-free
with complication rates as low as one in 1,000, investigators
found that as many as one in 10 surgeries fail, making failed
laser eye operations 100 times more common than advertised.
An opthalmic surgeon prepares the eye for laser treatment |
The 0.1 percent complication rates refer to severe problems
such as corneal scarring, however the average failure rate
for laser eye surgery, which involves reshaping corneas to
correct short or long sightedness, is 10 percent.
Many of these patients have to have additional corrective
surgery and are often charged extra for the procedure. Corrective
procedures, which can leave patients more vulnerable to complications,
are typically needed due to inexperienced surgeons, human
error and uneven healing.
Additionally, according to investigations, patients may be
diagnosed by junior staff and may not actually see the surgeon
until shortly before their scheduled procedure, leaving little
time for adequate assessment.
While many laser eye clinics continue to claim that complications
are unlikely and can almost always be corrected, critics are
raising concerns that advertisements are sending out a false
message about the safety of laser eye surgery.
Telegraph.co.uk
April 5, 2003
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