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As the primacy of LASIK is challenged as the refractive procedure of choice, what role does the lagging economy play in contrast to the increasing availability of alternative treatments?
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Patient demand for LASIK will rebound as economy thaws
 William B. Trattler |
Patients who come in for vision correction uniformly start the discussion with questions about LASIK, which I believe is considered by consumers as the state of the art for vision correction surgery. Despite the lagging economy, there is definitely still strong interest in vision correction surgery, although some patients have been forced to delay moving forward with surgery due to financial reasons. Without question, offering no-interest financing has been helpful in these difficult economic times.
There are certainly other vision correction procedures, ranging from phakic IOLs to refractive lens exchange to even surface ablation. But in my experience, patients are still most interested in LASIK and are sometimes surprised when I mention that a different surgery is required. For example, I recently saw a 43-year-old woman who was a 3 D hyperope and wanted to eliminate contact lenses with LASIK. We discussed monovision LASIK vs. refractive lens exchange, and the patient felt that refractive lens exchange with a presbyopic IOL would be the better, more permanent method to achieve solid distance and near vision for years to come.
Overall, we are fortunate that LASIK has evolved into what must be considered one of the safest elective surgeries available. Patients are interested in this procedure, and this interest often serves as an entry to discussion on the best treatment option for a particular patient, which is not always LASIK. As the economy strengthens, I expect that we will see a rise in LASIK procedures and other refractive procedures due to patients’ strong interest in LASIK.
William B. Trattler, MD, is an OSN SuperSite Board Member. Disclosure: No products or companies are mentioned that would require financial disclosure.
LASIK faces economic pressure, media scrutiny, competition
 George O. Waring III |
I think there are three reasons for the decline in LASIK volume in 2009 and 2010:
1. Recession. The volume of elective refractive surgery, such as LASIK, follows closely the national consumer confidence index. This index has dropped because of the recession and fluctuates at a lower level, and LASIK has predictably followed that trend.
2. Negative coverage in public media, both electronic and print. The anti-LASIK crowd is continuously loud, destructively negative and extraordinarily inaccurate in their statements. The most recent component is the exaggerated and erroneous statements of Morris Waxler, former FDA employee. This has created a negative buzz.
3. New technology. IOL implantation for refractive lens exchange or early cataract removal continues to improve with better multifocal lenses and potentially accommodating IOLs, giving an alternative to presbyopic patients who, in the past, might have elected LASIK.
George O. Waring III, MD, FACS, FRCOphth, is an ophthalmologist practicing in Atlanta. Disclosure: No products or companies are mentioned that would require financial disclosure.