DISQUS

Since my previous post, our organizaion presented the USAEyes Competence Opinion Relative to Expectation (CORE) patient survey to the US Food and Drug Administration Ophthalmic Devices Panel. Based upon the patients who responded:

99% report quality of life as expected, better, or much better after vision correction surgery

98% state day vision as expected, better, or much better

98% report no complications or complications that are seldom problematic

98% would recommend surgery to family and friends.

97% would have surgery again, knowing what they know now

96% wear corrective lenses as often as expected, less than expected, or much less than expected

96% report postop vision without lenses as expected, better, or much better than expected when compared to preop vision with lenses

96% report overall quality of vision as expected, better, or much better than expected

91% report no complications at any time

91% state night vision as expected, better, or much better than expected

7% report complications seldom problematic, however 91% of these same patients would have surgery again

2% report complications frequently or always problematic, however 22% of these same patients would have surgery again

The full survey is available at the FDA's website at http://tinyurl.com/6492rv

Glenn Hagele
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance
http://www.USAEyes.org

Oh, that smell.

It's one of the things you don't really expect when you have laser vision correction surgery, but it is something that is hard to forget. It's not actually burning that you smell.

I work for a nonprofit Lasik patient advocacy organization. We don't provide Lasik, just Lasik information and we certify Lasik doctors' patient results.

When you smell something (anything) you are getting the sensation because cells from that object have escaped into the air and have gone up your nose. Burning something can cause cells to escape, but the laser used for Lasik is a “cold” laser – it does not use heat to reshape the cornea (clear front of eye).

The laser disrupts the molecular bonds that hold together the cells of the cornea. Without these bonds the cells rapidly escape in the form of a tiny mushroom cloud that looks similar to an atomic bomb. Some of these cells may be inhaled and “smelled”. Yes, I know, yuck!

The friction of these cells banging into each other does cause some heat, but it is only about 11 degrees F, raising the temperature of the cornea to about 110 degrees F – a hot summer’s day. This is not enough to burn the cornea.

We have a detailed article about this at:

http://www.usaeyes.org/lasik/faq/lasik-smell-bu...

I hope that your Lasik was otherwise uneventful and your healing is swift.

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
USAEyes.org

I am not a doctor

Lasik changes the shape of the cornea (clear front) of the eye. The laser energy does not affect the retina, which is the light sensitive membrane inside and at the back of the eye.

I work for a nonprofit Lasik patient advocacy. We do not provide Lasik. We provide Lasik information and certify Lasik doctors who meet patient outcome requirements.

Many studies have shown that Lasik is safe and effective by medical standards. A recent evaluation of studies involving over 2,000 patients found a Lasik
satisfaction rate of about 95%. Satisfaction may not be perfection, but it is satisfaction.

Lasik is surgery and all surgery has risks, but risk to the retinal is highly improbable.

Glenn Hagele
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance
http://www.USAEyes.org