SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Michigan, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly ten years after its arrival in the United States, and more than three years after FDA approval, LASIK surgery is coming under fire from some patients who have suffered complications or experienced poor outcomes.
Last Friday, the FDA heard testimony from patients who were dissatisfied with their LASIK surgery. Their complaints ranged from mild visual distortion, to pain, to severe activity-limiting visual halos and glare. One distraught parent read a suicide note from their child who described six years of eye pain and blurred vision.
The vast majority of patients have near perfect vision after LASIK surgery. In fact, the procedure has been quoted by many as having a 99% satisfaction rate. "My patients are, by and large, overjoyed with their results," stated Dr. William Goldstein, an ophthalmologist located in Shelby Township, Michigan. "Of course, like any surgery, LASIK has its downsides and patients need to be aware of the risks before they pursue this type of surgery."
Surgeons in the U.S. perform about 700,000 LASIK procedures every year, and the surgery is a popular means of reducing the need for glasses and contact lenses worldwide. But the limitations and risks of this surgery have lead many physicians to expand their practice to include other alternatives, such as Implantable Contact Lenses (ICL). Dr. Goldstein was the first in Michigan to perform this surgery, and has recommended it as an alternative to LASIK to many patients. "The Visian ICL offers the benefits of vision correction, while avoiding some of the problems that LASIK can cause," says Goldstein. "Patients who are not candidates for surgery due to dry eyes or extreme degrees of nearsightedness can feel secure that their most common complications are not an issue with this technology."
For more information, Dr. Goldstein can be reached at 586-323-2020. Visit his Web site at http://www.2020vision.com/ .
Dr. William Goldstein
