[Regarding surface ablation as an ethically superior option when compared to LASIK: primum non nocere]

Refractive surgery is an extremely safe surgical intervention, with excellent profiles of clinical improvement and satisfaction. The ethical responsibility of the refractive surgeon is to look for diminishing the patients' exposure to unnecessary risks. Therefore, surface ablation would be a preferable option over LASIK as the former has a better safety profile than the latter, without compromising final visual acuity. Ethically, surface ablation should be considered as the first choice in those patients undergoing Excimer laser refractive surgery.