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PRK or LASIK? RLE or ICL?
No, these aren't leftover letters from a Scrabble game, they're just a few acronyms pulled from an ever-expanding menu of options for laser corrective eye surgery.
Yes, 110,000 Canadians opt for LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis), each year in order to correct vision that, without surgery, requires them to wear eyeglasses or contacts.
But more options also mean more confusion for consumers.
And despite high praises from some, others are not so crazy about laser eye surgery.
In fact, an expert panel in the U.S. last year recommended that patients be warned about the risks of popular laser vision corrective surgery -- including persistent eye dryness and even vision disruptions.
"About half the population wears glasses or contact lenses for some condition that could be corrected by laser surgery," says Dr. Mark Cohen, co-founder of LASIKMD, a cross-Canada eye clinic chain. Many people who tire of reading glasses and the distortions common to progressive lenses opt for the surgery.
"LASIK has a good track record, satisfaction record and safety profile," he says. "It's one form of laser vision correction and it uses an Excimer laser to reshape the surface of the cornea. This is a very precise laser that removes very small amounts of tissue with each pulse, only 1/2500th of a millimetre."
PRK, which stands for photorefractive keratectomy, is another technique used for vision correction. This procedure, introduced in Canada in the early 1990s, requires about a week to heal whereas ophthalmologist claim that LASIK surgery is much faster on the healing front.
But eyes are priceless and consumers must examine their choices carefully before signing up for any laser treatment, says Dr. Sheldon Herzig, medical director of Herzig Eye Institute, an Ontario clinic that performs LASIK and PRK among other procedures.
Make the right choice
"Although the majority of patients who undergo LASIK will see 20/20 or better following surgery, there are people who are not candidates for LASIK," he says. "Patients have to be free of any medical problem that may affect healing and be free of any ocular disease. In addition, the cornea has to be thick enough for a given treatment and should not have any structural weakness."
Eighteen is the minimum age for corrective surgery, adds Herzig.
And while there's no upper limit, older patients -- especially those who are developing cataracts -- do better with different refractive surgery procedures.
"Complications are rare," says Herzig. "But they do include infection, corneal irregularity or scarring, and dry eyes."
People have complained of halos, starbursts and blurriness. Some patients may have to return for what LASIKMD's Cohen calls "a re-treat" or "enhancement."
Call it what you want, but it's really a second surgery because the first one didn't work as well as expected.
Costs can run about $2,500 to $3,800 per eye, depending on the type of treatment and the location of the clinic.
For more info, visit the Canadian Ophthalmological Society's website at www.eyesite.ca or see Health Canada's Healthy Living website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca.
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IS THIS THE RIGHT SURGEON?
You must research and try to evaluate whether a particular clinic is right for you. Ask these questions, advises Dr. Sheldon Herzig, past president of the Canadian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and medical director of the Herzig Eye Institute.
How many procedures has the doctor performed?
What is the surgeon's rate of re-treatment?
Does the Health Protection Branch of Canada approve their equipment?
Is the price a little too good to be true and is the procedure slightly different than other physicians to accommodate the price difference? If so, why?
What kind of training has the physician had?
Has the clinic provided adequate information about the procedure, including risks, length of recovery, long-term results and suggested follow-up?
Are there any alternative options available if LASIK is not the optimal solution?
What do other doctors say about this surgeon's reputation?