| Glenn - USAEyes.org 2006-03-23, 1:28 am |
| NICE Issues Guidance On Laser Eye Surgery For Treating Refractive
Errors, UK
Article Date: 23 Mar 2006 - 0:00am (UK)
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has
today (22 March) issued guidance on photorefractive (laser) eye
surgery for the treatment of refractive errors (short and
long-sightedness) to determine whether it is safe enough and works
well enough for use. The guidance does not recommend that laser eye
surgery should be offered to patients routinely on the NHS, as for
most people eye problems can easily be corrected by wearing spectacles
or contact lenses.
In summary the guidance states that:
-- Current evidence suggests that laser eye surgery is safe enough and
works well enough for use in appropriately selected patients.
-- Clinicians wishing to undertake laser eye surgery should ensure
that patients understand the benefits and potential risks of the
procedure. Risks include failure to achieve the expected improvement
in unaided vision, development of new visual disturbances, corneal
infection, and flap complications. These risks should be weighed
against the risks and any possible inconvenience of wearing spectacles
or contact lenses.
-- Clinicians should audit and review clinical outcomes of all
patients who have laser eye surgery. Further research will be useful
and clinicians are encouraged to collect longer-term follow-up data.
-- Clinicians should have adequate training before performing these
procedures. The Royal college of Ophthalmologists has produced
standards for laser refractive surgery.
The guidance covers the three most common types of laser eye surgery
(laser in situ keratomileusis [LASIK], photorefractive keratotectomy
[PRK], and laser epithelial keratomileusis [LASEK]) and updates and
replaces guidance on LASIK issued in December 2004.
Professor Bruce Campbell, Chairman of the Interventional Procedures
Advisory Committee says “We hope today's guidance will help to
reassure people thinking of having laser eye surgery either on the NHS
or privately. It is still important that patients discuss fully with
the surgeon the possible risks and benefits of having laser surgery in
their particular case. They need to weigh the risks of the procedure
carefully against the inconvenience and possible risks of wearing
spectacles or contact lenses. We are not saying that laser eye surgery
should be offered to patients routinely on the NHS, because most
people's eye problems can easily be corrected by wearing spectacles or
contact lenses.”
The full guidance on LASIK and the ‘information for the public'
leaflet can be found on the NICE website at http://www.nice.org.uk.
The ‘information for the public' leaflet contains more information on
the procedure, the possible risks and benefits.
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