LASIK study shows the procedure may be safer than contact lenses
March 12th, 2008 | Posted in Articles of Interest, News | Nancy
Researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University’s Casey Eye Institute have found that, in the long run, LASIK surgery may be safer than contact lenses. The group reviewed several large studies of complications from contact lens use and LASIK surgery. The results of their study were published in the October 2006 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology and the conclusions include:
*Contact lens wearers have approximately a 1-in-100 (1.0%) risk of developing a serious contact lens-related eye infection over 30 years of use.
*Contact lens wearers have about a 1-in-2,000 (0.05%) chance of experiencing significant vision loss as a result of a contact lens-related eye infection over the same period.
*The chance of LASIK surgery causing a significant loss of vision is about 1-in-10,000 (0.01%).
It’s estimated that up to 38 million Americans wear contact lenses. Each year, approximately 1.2 million laser vision correction surgeries are performed in the United States.
