LASIK – Laser Vision Correction

Facts intended to help make an informed decision

It is not possible to list all of the possible risks and complications associated with Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery or any other treatment. The risks and complications that are considered to be foreseeable or commonly known will be addressed by us at the Braverman Eye Center when you visit us for your Miami LASIK consultation.

LASIK is the most commonly performed procedure for laser vision correction in the United States as well as the entire world. Throughout the USA in 1999, over 3000 LASIK procedures were performed on a daily basis. LASIK combines two already approved procedures: Automated Lamellar Keratoplasty (ALK) and Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK).

Several uses of the excimer laser, which are common throughout the world, are considered “Off-Label” uses, which are at the discretion of the doctor. These include performing surgery on the second eye less than three months after the first eye, and using the excimer laser to correct high amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

“Off-Label” usage is common throughout medicine. Most drugs and devices are approved for very specific uses, and other uses of those drugs or machines are considered “Off-Label”. For example, aspirin was approved for relief of pain. When it was then discovered aspirin would help prevent heart attacks, prescribing aspirin was considered an “Off-Label” use. Since that time, prescribing aspirin for prevention of heart attacks has been explicitly approved by the FDA.