gospa68[at]aol.com (Wizkid) wrote in message news:<c11e3ecf.0409250942.4b76bf35[at]posting.google.com> ...
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Oops I hit Post too soon.

I meant "withdrawal from the laser surgery business".

gospa68[at]aol.com (Wizkid) wrote in message news:<c11e3ecf.0409250942.4b76bf35[at]posting.google.com> ...
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Health Which? presented an analytical review of LASIK in their
February 2003 issue. It was quite good as it covered issues relating
to adverse effects which before that time had not received much of any
press coverage in the UK, such as NVD.

That was a year and a half ago and is not news. The current turmoil
has more to do with the Times' report on the LADARVision and Boots'
subsequent withdrawal from the

While at the ESCRS, I learned that there is increasing turmoil in the
UK over LASIK. The following article released late last year by the UK
Consumer's Organization has created quite a stir in the UK.

HEALTH WHICH? LIFTS LID ON LASER EYE SURGERY
11.02.03

Around 100,000 people in the UK undergo corrective laser eye surgery
each year prompted by the promise of freedom from wearing glasses and
contact lenses. But as Health Which? today (11 February 2003)
discovered, there are a growing number of dissatisfied patients.
Overblown claims of success, celebrity endorsements, along with
failure to inform patients of the possible side effects means many
patients may be gambling with their eyesight.

Leading experts in ophthalmic surgery, told Health Which? that the
potential risks of laser eye surgery ARE NOT BEING COMMUNICATED to
the public and that complication rates vary dramatically between
surgeons and clinics. People often make the assumption, wrongly, that
all refractive surgeons are experts in laser eye treatment - in fact
any doctor can operate after a course of just a few days.

Clinic chains contacted by Health Which? claim LASIK - the most
popular procedure - is safe with low complication rates, but some
companies were not so keen to reveal the hard facts.

For example, Maxivision only make overall rates available once
patients have committed to surgery. Ultralase says information is only
available on request and Boots says that the information is not
publicly available.

LASIK is heavily advertised by Boots, Maxivision and Optimax, amongst
others. Yet all these companies have been the subject of complaints
upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority concerning the
misleading nature of their adverts.

The report also found examples of claims that are simply wrong. Boots
claim that there "are no known long-term side-effects or
complications" with LASIK. And Maxivision says that the complications
with LASIK affecting vision are significantly less than 1 per cent.
However in certain cases complications can result in CORNEAL ECTASIA,
a condition which can require a corneal transplant due to fluid
pressure on the eye.

Last year a major review by the American Academy of Ophthalmology
found that while very serious complications might be rare, side
effects often termed "minor" by laser clinics and clinic staff occur
"RELATIVELY FREQUENTLY." These include DRY EYES, NIGHTTIME STARBURSTS,
AND REDUCED CONTRAST SENSITIVITY.

So-called minor complications can affect patients differently but can
be so severe that day-to-day activities are affected, such as driving.
Yet such problems are still CLASSIFIED AS INSIGNIFICANT IF A PATIENT
IS ABLE TO READ MOST OF THE EYE CHART (and as those of us on this URL
know, this is a very incomplete, if not poor way, to judge outcomes)

Organisations which provide professional indemnity, such as the
Medical Defence Union and the Medical Protection Society are raising
fees they charge refractive surgeons as a result of increased
litigation. The Medical Protection Society has also asked a leading
refractive surgeon to develop new guidelines to ensure safety
standards are met by its members.

Sue Freeman, Managing Editor, Health Which?, said: "Patients shouldn't
be taken in by claims about the safety and success rates of laser eye
surgery and in particular about so called 'minor complications'. While
some people will be able to throw away their glasses, this won't be
the case for everyone."

"Patients should be FULLY INFORMED of the possible risks and of the
complication rates of clinics and individual surgeons."

"Until patients are able to make informed choice, they need to do a
lot of research and ask a lot of hard questions of surgeons and
clinics."

Ends

Notes

To receive a full copy of this report, to set up an interview with
Health Which? spokespeople, or for any further information on this or
any Health Which? reports, please contact David Whitely in the press
office on 020 7770 7562 or email dave.whitely[at]which.co.uk
Health Which? investigates healthcare, food, fitness and medical
issues. The magazine is an independent voice, free from advertising
and funded entirely by subscriptions. Consumers' Association publishes
Health Which? six times a year, at a cost of £7.75 a quarter (£31
annually) to new subscribers. Telephone 0845 924 5000 for more
details.

Consumers' Association, 2 Marylebone Road, LONDON, NW1 4DF