Modern laser in situ keratomileusis outcomes

Laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) articles published between 2008 and 2015 that contain clinical outcomes data were reviewed and graded for quality, impression, and potential bias. All 97 relevant articles (representing 67 893 eyes) provided a positive or neutral impression of LASIK. Industry bias was not evident. The aggregate loss of 2 or more lines of corrected distance visual acuity was 0.61% (359/58 653). The overall percentage of eyes with uncorrected distance visual acuity better than 20/40 was 99.5% (59 503/59 825). The spherical equivalent refraction was within ±1.0 diopter (D) of the target refraction in 98.6% (59 476/60 329) of eyes, with 90.9% (59 954/65 974) within ±0.5 D. In studies reporting patient satisfaction, 1.2% (129/9726) of patients were dissatisfied with LASIK. Aggregate outcomes appear better than those reported in summaries of the safety and effectiveness of earlier laser refractive surgery systems approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Modern results support the safety, efficacy, and patient satisfaction of the procedure.

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