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ASCRS releases LASIK guidelines for consumers
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PHILADELPHIA — Guidelines released here yesterday will help people interested in LASIK decide for themselves whether they are appropriate candidates for the procedure.
The guidelines, created in response to a consumer survey that showed low awareness of some basic facts about LASIK, were produced by a committee of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. They were announced here at a press conference during the ASCRS meeting.
Consumer self-education on LASIK can help people assess whether they are ideal, less than ideal, or noncandidates for LASIK, said members of the ASCRS Eye Surgery Education Council, the group that drafted the screening guidelines.
Speakers at the ASCRS press conference said the market research firm Harris Interactive released a study in mid-March underscoring the need for increased patient education. The survey uncovered several common misperceptions about LASIK: 41% of respondents believed that anyone with imperfect vision is an appropriate LASIK candidate, 31% did not realize the surgery had to be performed by a licensed medical practitioner and 23% believed LASIK is a cosmetic surgical procedure.
“The information from Harris Interactive was absolutely a wake-up call to us as ophthalmologists” about the lack of patient education, said Marguerite B. McDonald, MD, the incoming president of ASCRS. "We decided to take action and form the ESEC. When patients are armed with knowledge, they make better decisions," she said.
As an example of the public's misconceptions, Roger Steinert, MD, chairman of ESEC, pointed to the almost 66% of respondents who were concerned about complications.
“The incidence of sight-threatening complications is less than 1%,” he said. “These guidelines are the first of their kind.”
Dr. Steinert said ESEC has been given unrestricted grants from industry to achieve its patient education goal, and to date it has a $750,000 budget.
The guidelines define the characteristics of patients who are ideal, somewhat ideal and noncandidates for LASIK.
Ideal LASIK candidates include people who are over 18 who have had stable refractive errors for more than 2 years, have sufficient corneal thickness, do not suffer from any disease that would affect the outcome of the surgery and are adequately informed about the benefits and risks of the surgery.
Less-than-ideal LASIK candidates are people who have a history of dry eyes, are being treated with medications such as steroids or immunosuppressants or have scarring of the cornea.
A LASIK noncandidate is someone who has a disease such as cataract, glaucoma, corneal disease or corneal thinning disorders; does not give informed consent; or has unrealistic expectations.
Dr. Steinert said the ESEC plans to expand its patient education campaign to include all refractive surgeries, but there is not yet a timeline for implementation of further guidelines.
The ESEC has a Web site (www.eyesurgeryeducation.com) and a toll-free phone number (800-536-ESEC) for consumers to garner additional information on the procedure.