Lasik surgery

[DreamJob]

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I am very interested in getting lasik surgery between my first and second year of medical school. I am however very concerned about the risk involved.
Does anyone have any statistics on the number of surgery's gone wrong? Any recommendations on how to research a great doctor? Thanks! Oh by the way, my eyesight is pretty bad something like 20/300.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Hi there.

1) Rate of infection vary. A recent paper suggest that flap infections occur 1:3000 procedures

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...ve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14604725

Another paper demonstrated a rate of 2-3 per 100 cases.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...ve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14604718

I tend to believe that infection occurs about 1:500 cases. Some are mild and some may be vision threatening and require a corneal transplant.

2)
Flap tears, button holes, and perforations have been reported:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...ve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=10445207
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...ve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14967299
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...ve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15050272

I think overall, however, LASIK is safe and a good alternative for patients. Find a surgeon that has done many cases, does not fly in and out of town to do LASIK, and avoid co-managment (i.e. you want only the surgeon to do your pre-op evaluation and post-op evaluation)