LASIK Works Well, According to Long-Term Study of Highly Myopic Patients
New article published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology
Philadelphia, December 28, 2007 – Laser surgery to correct vision problems has been in use since the early 1990s. Photorefractive Keratotomy (PRK) is typically used to correct low to moderate myopia, while laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) is preferred for high myopia corrections. Although over 18 million LASIK procedures have been performed worldwide, there is still some controversy regarding the maximum correction possible and efficacy with this technique. In an article published in the January 2008 issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology, researchers from Miguel Hernandez University, Medical School, Alicante, Spain; and Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey; report on a study of high myopia patients ten years after LASIK surgery. The findings show that LASIK for myopia over -10 D is a safe and effective procedure in the long-term.
196 high myopic eyes of 118 patients, preoperatively needing at least 10 diopter (10 D) corrections to achieve 20/20 vision, were evaluated ten years following surgery. Uncorrected vision was 77% of best-corrected vision (BSCVA) before surgery. BSCVA improved 1 line. Only 5% of eyes lost more than 2 lines of BSCVA and 40% avoided the use of glasses. 119 (61 %) of eyes were within ± 2.00 Diopters at 10 years. Only 2 eyes (1%) developed corneal ectasia. The retreatment rate was 27%.
According to lead investigator Jorge L. Alió, “These results are extremely encouraging considering that this refractive correction implies the maximum limit of application of this technique. This study has allowed us to demonstrate that, in spite of the prejudices about the limits of LASIK technique, the results regarding predictability, efficacy and safety for high myopic patients are very good in the long term. The optimum limit of predictability for this technique is around 10 D of myopia. This reference study, with a long time perspective, allows us to know the safety, precision and limits of LASIK in highly myopic eyes.”
The article is “Ten-year Follow-up of Laser In Situ Keratomileusis for High Myopia” by Jorge l. Alió, Orkun Muftuoglu, Dolores Ortiz, Juan Jose Pérez-Santonja, Alberto Artola, Maria-Jose Ayala, Maria Jose Garcia, and Gracia Castro De Luna. It appears in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, Volume 145, Issue 1, (January 2008), and is published by Elsevier.
# # #
Full text of the article mentioned above is available upon request. Contact Maureen Hunter at (215) 239-3671 or m.hunter@elsevier.com to obtain a copy or to schedule an interview.
About the American Journal of Ophthalmology
The American Journal of Ophthalmology is a peer-reviewed, scientific publication that welcomes the submission of original, previously unpublished manuscripts directed to ophthalmologists and visual science specialists describing clinical investigations, clinical observations and clinically relevant laboratory investigations. Published monthly since 1884, the full text of the American Journal of Ophthalmology and supplementary material are also presented on the Internet at www.AJO.com.
The American Journal of Ophthalmology publishes Original Articles, Brief Reports, Perspectives, Editorials, Abstracts, Correspondence, Book Reports and Announcements. Perspectives, Editorials and Abstracts (from other journals) are published by invitation.
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier’s online solutions include ScienceDirect, Scopus, Reaxys, ClinicalKey and Mosby’s Suite, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai’s Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world leading provider of professional information solutions. The group employs more than 30,000 people, including more than 15,000 in North America. Reed Elsevier Group plc is owned equally by two parent companies, Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. Their shares are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RUK and ENL.
Media Contact:
Maureen Hunter
Elsevier
+1 215 239 3671
m.hunter@elsevier.com
