Laser Eye-Treatment Given All-ClearNothing new really, but it's nice to know when choosing between the two that they are both equally effective. I do recall some people giving me anecdotal reasons to choose one or the other based on the supposed reasons that one was superior to the other. Now I know I was right to ignore them!
Two different forms of eye surgery have been declared equally effective in repairing near-sighted vision.
Dr Alex Schortt and Dr Bruce Allan of the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London published an evaluation of six independent studies into the two treatments in today's issue of The Cochrane Library, concluding that the two treatments both help restore 20/20 vision.
Despite the equal efficacy of laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) treatments, experts agree that patients should think carefully about which kind of surgery suits them best.
"There are cases for both procedures where LASIK would be best for one patient and PRK would be best for another patient," explained Dr Melissa Baileyan, an optometrist at the Ohio State University College of Optometry.
"It really depends on individual patient factors," she said, including the thickness of tissues in the eye and severity of the nearsightedness.
Most tend to choose the LASIK surgery because it has a "shorter and less painful" recovery time, the report explains, before pointing out that despite the lack of new conclusions it was essential to highlight the relative pros and cons of the different treatments.
"It is important that patients are informed about and understand the effectiveness, limitations, safety, complications and relative merits of these procedures," Dr Allan said.
Tags: LASIK and PRK
