Quality of Life After LASIK Eye Surgery
Study Will Evaluate Complications Following LASIK and Predict Them
Oct 19, 2009
LASIK eye correction surgery has helped many throw away their glasses, improving their vision dramatically. Nonetheless, there are risks associated with LASIK and long-term safety and effectiveness following the procedure is unknown. The FDA has announced the launch of the LASIK Quality of Life Collaboration Project, which aims to determine how common significant quality of life problems occur following LASIK eye surgery and what may be done in order to predict these adverse outcomes.
What is LASIK Surgery for Vision Correction?
LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. LASIK is a surgical procedure that utilises an eximer laser to permanently change the shape of the cornea in order to improve one’s vision. The procedure can be used to correct short-sightedness, far-sightedness and astigmatism.
Most LASIK patients experience improved vision with minor complications following surgery. For many, this represents an improved quality of life, enabling one to throw away the glasses or contact lenses and the costs associated with these visions correction options.
It must be noted, however, that results achieved for those patients who present with a large refractive error are generally not as good as for those who have a lower refractive error. In addition, for some farsighted patients, results of LASIK eye correction surgery may decrease with age, with many patients requiring corrective lenses at some stage following the procedure.
Risks Associated with LASIK Eye Correction Surgery
As with all surgical procedures, there are many risks associated with LASIK eye correction surgery, some of which can be very serious.
More common complications following LASIK surgery include:
- Abrasion
- Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis (DLK), which occurs when dead cells become lodged beneath the corneal flap and the cornea then initiates an inflammatory response against the dead cells
- Induced astigmatism, which may result when the corneal surface is not smooth or if the laser surgery is not performed correctly
- Dry eye
- Infection
- Over or under correction of refractive error, which can result in blurry vision or visual disturbances
The above complications can be treated, although if DLK or infection is not treated in time, scarring may occur resulting in reduced vision. There are several more serious complications that may occur following LASIK eye surgery, which can result in permanent damage to the eye and a person’s vision. These include:
- Night vision problems, where patients may experience glare, halos, and/or double vision, which can permanently affect their night-time vision
- Loss of vision that cannot be corrected through the use of corrective lenses or surgery as a result of incorrect surgery being carried out
- Severe dry eye, which causes discomfort and also visual problems due to intermittent blurring
In addition, there is no long-term data related to the safety and effectiveness of this procedure as yet.
FDA Study - LASIK Quality of Life Collaboration Project
The FDA in collaboration with the National Eye Institute and the US Department of Defence are undertaking the LASIK Quality of Life Collaboration Project. This study aims to determine the proportion of patients that experience significant quality of life problems following LASIK eye correction surgery. In addition, the study aims to investigate and identify predictors of such problems.
The project consists of three phases, the first of which began in July 2009.
- Phase 1 involves the design and implementation a web-based questionnaire to assess patient-reported outcomes and evaluate quality of life issues following LASIK surgery for vision correction.
- Phase 2 aims to investigate the quality of life and satisfaction of patients following LASIK as reported by a select group of patients treated at the Navy Refractive Surgery Centre.
- Phase 3 will evaluate quality of life outcomes following LASIK surgery in the general population. This part of the study will be a national, multi-centre clinical trial.
While the benefit of LASIK eye correction surgery is greatly improved vision for many, some patients experience adverse effects following this procedure. While some complications resolve quickly, others have long-lasting or permanent effects. The LASIK Quality of Life Collaboration Project hopes to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes associated with LASIK eye surgery by identifying specific predictive factors that may relate to how one’s quality of life is affected by the procedure. As such, this will help lead to reduction in the number of patients who experience such adverse outcomes.
Readers may also be interested in the following article: LASIK Surgery for Vision Correction: Benefits Versus Risks for LASIK Eye Correction Surgery
Sources:
FDA 2009, FDA Announces Plans for LASIK Quality of Life Project; Agency also Announces Warning Letters Issued to LASIK Facilities, October 15th 2009, viewed October 19th 2009
LasikEyeSurgeryCorrection Website: Risks of LASIK Surgery, viewed October 19th, 2009
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