LASIK Safety at D’Ambrosio Eye Care

If you or someone you know is considering LASIK you will want to know that the procedure is safe and has a solid overall track record of safety so that they can overcome any fear or anxiety they might have regarding the procedure. The safety of LASIK depends on a number of factors. By far the most important factors that can affect LASIK safety are the laser and instrumentation to be used to perform the treatment and even more so, the skill and experience of the LASIK Surgeon.

Long Term Track Record
Laser Eye Surgery for the Laser Vision Correction of nearsightedness was first performed in the United States upon Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the Excimer Laser on October 20, 1995. The Excimer Laser was specifically FDA approved for LASIK in 1998. So as of 2011, Laser Eye Surgery for Laser Vision Correction has been performed for 16 years and the LASIK procedure has been performed under FDA approval for more than 13 years. It is estimated that some 20 million patients worldwide have had LASIK. LASIK is generally considered one of the most successful and safe surgical procedures of any type. In skilled hands nearsighted patients can expect to achieve 20/40 vision more than 98 percent of the time and uncorrected vision of 20/20 or 20/25 in more than 90 percent of the time. The safety record is equally as impressive with regard to any loss of best-corrected vision where vision loss to a level of worse than 20/40 is quite rare occurring in about only 3 per 1,000 cases. Serious complications such as infection or corneal damage, occur even more infrequently in fewer than 1 in 1,000 cases. There is more to safety than simply the laser itself.

Safety is the Hands of the LASIK Surgeon
FDA approval provides some assurance but FDA approval does not indicate that a LASIK Surgeon is going to provide a thorough evaluation and consultation nor does it imply that LASIK Surgeons will provide a complete review of the possible risks and complications of LASIK or even that a LASIK Surgeon will use the appropriate screening and decision criteria to be sure that a patient is in fact a good candidate for LASIK or any Laser Eye Surgery for that matter.

With regard to LASIK safety, choosing a LASIK Surgeon is the most important decision a patient makes in deciding to have LASIK and is a significant part of making LASIK a safe and effective procedure. You should not choose a LASIK Surgeon based on slick advertising or low price. You should choose a LASIK Surgeon based on training and experience, reputation in the community and the comfort and rapport established during your consultation. It is ALWAYS the skill and experience of the surgeon that contributes the most to the overall safety of Laser Eye Surgery for the correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. When you schedule a LASIK evaluation at D’Ambrosio Eye Care you will be under the care of JoAnn Chang, M.D., a Fellowship trained Corneal Specialist and LASIK Surgeon. Dr. Chang will be available to meet with you and answer your questions and help decide if LASIK is right for you. Call D’Ambrosio Eye Care Toll Free at 800-325-3937 to schedule an evaluation