Surgery date(s)

April 2002

Time elapsed when survey submitted

15 months

Age at time of surgery

37

Type of surgery

LASIK

Laser

Alcon Ladarvision 4000

One eye or both

One eye only (deliberate monovision treatment to retain small prescription in one eye for near vision)

Correction before surgery

Soft contact lenses

Vision before surgery

R -2 -1.25 x 66

L -1.25 -1.25 x 105

Vision after surgery (acuity or prescription)

R 6/4.5

L (left untreated for monovision)

Does patient now need glasses or contact lenses?

NO

Adverse effects (visual)

None reported

Adverse effects (other)

None reported

Did patient feel the surgery achieved his/her goal?

YES

Does patient recommend to acquaintances?

YES

Patient's rating of results (1-10, 10 is best)

10

Primary motivating factors in decision to have LVC

• Convenience of not wearing glasses
• Increased safety or convenience for sports or other leisure activities

Read about the benefits of LVC in...

• Advertising
• Other

Read about the risks, complications and side effects of LVC in

• Website of the clinic patient attended
• Websites sponsored by other clinics or industry sources

Read about patients' experiences (good or bad)

• On www.lasik-eyes.co.uk

How patient selected clinic and/or surgeon

• The surgeon was recommended by an acquaintance.
• The clinic was recommended by an acquaintance.
• I was looking for a very specific type of procedure or model of laser.
• My surgeon had done thousands of procedures.
• My surgeon was a consultant ophthalmologist.
• My surgeon had extensive training in refractive surgery.
• My surgeon had very low complications rates.
• I read good reviews or reports about the clinic or surgeon.

The following were or were not discussed with the patient during the consultation process:

How long patient could expect to be glasses-free after surgery

YES

Night vision problems and what causes them

YES

Other problems associated with laser surgery, such as double vision/ghosting and loss of contrast sensitivity

YES

Patient's pupil size at night and how it may affect the quality of the surgical result

YES

Patient's corneal thickness and what it means for eligibility for additional procedures

YES

Patient's professional vision requirements (present or future)

YES

The possibility of dry eye requiring ongoing treatment (i.e. after the healing period)

YES

Overall experience with the CLINIC

5

Impression of the CLINIC's quality standards

5

How CLINIC's staff responded if patient had any problems or concerns after surgery

5

Overall experience with SURGEON

5

Time SURGEON spent with patient before the day of surgery

5

SURGEON answered patient's questions prior to surgery

5

SURGEON discussed pre-operative evaluation test results with patient

5

SURGEON spent time with patient at follow-up examinations

4

Selected topic: Patient Counselling / Informed Consent

After the surgeon had finished her examination she informed me that my corneas were borderline and that she would like to contact the Partners regarding my suitability. She explained that my pupils were large and in order to get my corneal thickness to a level of suitability I would be treated with a smaller treatment zone than my scotopic pupil size (pupil size in dim light). Following discussions with a Partner, they decided to offer me treatment at the reduced treatment zone. They fully explained the increased risk of night time glare and halos (and the possibility of long term treatment of night glare). They also advised only treating my dominant eye and leaving my non dominant eye mildly short-sighted. This was to delay the onset of needing reading glasses as I got older. If I was unhappy with the monovision result they could treat my left eye under the same conditions. It was totally my decision to go ahead with treatment on my right eye only, as I still had the option of treating the left if I did not adjust to Monovision. I returned to work the next day and have never looked back. Each individual has to weigh up the pros and cons against their treatment and make an informed choice as to what they want out of the treatment.

Surgery date(s)

April 2002

Time elapsed when survey submitted

15 months

Age at time of surgery

37

Type of surgery

PRK, one eye only (other eye not suitable)

Laser

Unknown

One eye or both

One

Correction before surgery

Soft contact lenses

Vision before surgery

Short-sighted: -1.75/-1.5

Astigmatism: Yes

Vision after surgery (acuity or prescription)

-0.75 (from -1.75) in treated eye

Does patient now need glasses or contact lenses?

Yes

Adverse effects (visual)

Floaters

Adverse effects (other)

None reported

Did patient feel the surgery achieved his/her goal?

NO

Does patient recommend to acquaintances?

YES

Patient's rating of results (1-10, 10 is best)

6

Primary motivating factors in decision to have LVC

Convenience of not wearing glasses

Convenience of not wearing and caring for contact lenses

Contact lens intolerance, discomfort or related problems (eyes dry, tired, red, sore, allergies, etc)

Generally tired of the hassle of glasses or contacts and attracted by the idea of not needing them

Read about the benefits of LVC in...

Family, friends or acquaintances who have had laser surgery

Online

Read about the risks, complications and side effects of LVC in

Family, friends or acquaintances

Website of the clinic patient attended

Websites sponsored by other clinics or industry sources

Independent websites

Read about patients' experiences (good or bad)

On an independent web forum (other than www.surgicaleyes.org and www.lasik-eyes.co.uk)

How patient selected clinic and/or surgeon

The surgeon was recommended by an acquaintance.

The clinic was recommended by an acquaintance.

The following were or were not discussed with the patient during the consultation process:

How long patient could expect to be glasses-free after surgery

NO

Night vision problems and what causes them

YES

Other problems associated with laser surgery, such as double vision/ghosting and loss of contrast sensitivity

NO

Patient's pupil size at night and how it may affect the quality of the surgical result

NO

Patient's corneal thickness and what it means for eligibility for additional procedures

NO

Patient's professional vision requirements (present or future)

NO

The possibility of dry eye requiring ongoing treatment (i.e. after the healing period)

YES

Overall experience with the CLINIC

4

Impression of the CLINIC's quality standards

4

How CLINIC's staff responded if patient had any problems or concerns after surgery

3

Overall experience with SURGEON

4

Time SURGEON spent with patient before the day of surgery

3

SURGEON answered patient's questions prior to surgery

3

SURGEON discussed pre-operative evaluation test results with patient

3

SURGEON spent time with patient at follow-up examinations

1

Selected: Vision after surgery

I was recommended to have PRK as my prescription was quite low and it was explained to me that it was generally Ôsafer'. However, my vision in the corrected eye is at Ð0.75, and so I still need to wear glasses /contact lenses for driving, cinema, sports, watching t.v etc. It was explained to me that the reason my vision is not more correct is that they will always under treat it as it is better to be short-sighted than to be over corrected - but also that my eye has healed aggressively; in that the surface of the eye has grown back thicker than the average rate of re-growth. At the time of selecting treatment I did not understand the different healing process between PRK and Lasik Ð if I had understood that Lasik was more predictable in its results than PRK, I would have selected Lasik.

Surgery date(s)

January 2003

Time elapsed when survey submitted

6 months

Age at time of surgery

56

Type of surgery

LASIK

Laser

Unknown

One eye or both

Both

Correction before surgery

Soft contact lenses

Vision before surgery

Short-sighted: -4.25

Astigmatism: No

Vision after surgery (acuity or prescription)

ÒBetter than 20/20Ó

Does patient now need glasses or contact lenses?

Yes, for certain activities, as expected

Adverse effects (visual)

Poorer night vision

Adverse effects (other)

Dry eye

Did patient feel the surgery achieved his/her goal?

YES

Does patient recommend to acquaintances?

YES

Patient's rating of results (1-10, 10 is best)

9

Primary motivating factors in decision to have LVC

• Convenience of not wearing glasses
• Convenience of not wearing and caring for contact lenses
• Generally tired of the hassle of glasses or contacts and attracted by the idea of not needing them

Read about the benefits of LVC in...

• Advertising
• Family, friends or acquaintances who have had laser surgery
• Online
• Other

Read about the risks, complications and side effects of LVC in

• Television, radio or other press reports
• Website of the clinic patient attended
• Independent websites

Read about patients' experiences (good or bad)

• On www.surgicaleyes.org
• On www.lasik-eyes.co.uk
• On an independent web forum (other than www.surgicaleyes.org and www.lasik-eyes.co.uk)
• On a website sponsored by the clinic
• In brochures or other media produced by the clinic
• In news reports

How patient selected clinic and/or surgeon

• The clinic was recommended by an acquaintance.
• I had an evaluation at more than one clinic and selected the one I thought was best based on my experience during the evaluation.
• The location was convenient.
• My surgeon had done thousands of procedures.
• My surgeon had extensive training in refractive surgery.
• My surgeon had very low complications rates.
• I read good reviews or reports about the clinic or surgeon.

The following were or were not discussed with the patient during the consultation process:

How long patient could expect to be glasses-free after surgery

YES

Night vision problems and what causes them

YES

Other problems associated with laser surgery, such as double vision/ghosting and loss of contrast sensitivity

YES

Patient's pupil size at night and how it may affect the quality of the surgical result

NO

Patient's corneal thickness and what it means for eligibility for additional procedures

YES

Patient's professional vision requirements (present or future)

YES

The possibility of dry eye requiring ongoing treatment (i.e. after the healing period)

YES

Overall experience with the CLINIC

5

Impression of the CLINIC's quality standards

5

How CLINIC's staff responded if patient had any problems or concerns after surgery

5

Overall experience with SURGEON

5

Time SURGEON spent with patient before the day of surgery

0

SURGEON answered patient's questions prior to surgery

5

SURGEON discussed pre-operative evaluation test results with patient

4

SURGEON spent time with patient at follow-up examinations

0

Surgery date(s)

Original procedure in July 2002 followed by corrective Wavefront re-treatment in May 2003

Time elapsed when survey submitted

12 months (since original procedure)

Age at time of surgery

46

Type of surgery

LASIK

Laser

VISX Star S3

One eye or both

Both

Correction before surgery

Soft contact lenses

Vision before surgery

R -1.75 -2.0

L -1.75 -2.25

Vision after surgery (acuity or prescription)

6/12 after 1st surgery

Does patient now need glasses or contact lenses?

Not since 2nd treatment

Adverse effects (visual)

(Prior to 2nd treatment)

Loss of contrast

Night vision problems

Loss of best-corrected visual acuity

Floaters

Adverse effects (other)

Dry eye

Did patient feel the surgery achieved his/her goal?

NO

Does patient recommend to acquaintances?

NO

Patient's rating of results (1-10, 10 is best)

3

Primary motivating factors in decision to have LVC

• Convenience of not wearing glasses
• Convenience of not wearing and caring for contact lenses
• Contact lens intolerance, discomfort or related problems (eyes dry, tired, red, sore, allergies, etc)

Read about the benefits of LVC in...

• Online

Read about the risks, complications and side effects of LVC in

• Other: literature provided at surgeon's clinic

Read about patients' experiences (good or bad)

• On www.lasik-eyes.co.uk

How patient selected clinic and/or surgeon

• My surgeon was a consultant ophthalmologist.
• My surgeon had extensive training in refractive surgery.
• I read good reviews or reports about the clinic or surgeon.

The following were or were not discussed with the patient during the consultation process:

How long patient could expect to be glasses-free after surgery

YES

Night vision problems and what causes them

NO

Other problems associated with laser surgery, such as double vision/ghosting and loss of contrast sensitivity

NO

Patient's pupil size at night and how it may affect the quality of the surgical result

NO

Patient's corneal thickness and what it means for eligibility for additional procedures

NO

Patient's professional vision requirements (present or future)

NO

The possibility of dry eye requiring ongoing treatment (i.e. after the healing period)

NO

Overall experience with the CLINIC

5

Impression of the CLINIC's quality standards

5

How CLINIC's staff responded if patient had any problems or concerns after surgery

5

Overall experience with SURGEON

5

Time SURGEON spent with patient before the day of surgery

4

SURGEON answered patient's questions prior to surgery

3

SURGEON discussed pre-operative evaluation test results with patient

3

SURGEON spent time with patient at follow-up examinations

4

1st op didn't go well Ð poor vision in any low light, poor night vision, contrast sensitivity poor, glare in backlit rooms. Was extremely unhappy and worried. Still needed glasses and although BSCV was 20/20 faces looked pasty.

Decided against enhancement at 6 months but got more and more unhappy, sought advice, was told about wavefront Ð was tested and retreated at month 10.

My sight has miraculously returned Ð all above problems appear to have gone.

I am beside myself with relief. The situation has affected my life as I scanned many internet sites to help me learn about my situation.

It appears I am maybe the first person in UK to have standard LASIK followed by Wavefront to correct.

Has the problem(s) been resolved?

YES

Did the patient get additional opinions and if so how many?

YES, 2

Has the surgeon told the patient what caused the problem(s)?

YES

Did the patient have risk factors s/he did not know about?

YES Ð large pupils

Who took responsibility to look after the patient, examine and treat them when the problem(s) arose: the surgeon, other staff in the clinic, or neither?

Surgeon

Surgery date(s)

February 2002

Time elapsed when survey submitted

5 months

Age at time of surgery

48

Type of surgery

LASIK

Laser

Unknown

One eye or both

Both

Correction before surgery

Glasses

Vision before surgery

R -2.50 sph -0.75 cyl

L -2.75 sph -0.50 cyl

Vision after surgery (acuity or prescription)

20/20

Does patient now need glasses or contact lenses?

Yes, as expected, for certain activities

Adverse effects (visual)

Vision not as ÒcrispÓ or as good as expected

Adverse effects (other)

None reported

Did patient feel the surgery achieved his/her goal?

YES

Does patient recommend to acquaintances?

YES

Patient's rating of results (1-10, 10 is best)

8

Primary motivating factors in decision to have LVC

• Convenience of not wearing glasses
• Expected cost savings

Read about the benefits of LVC in...

• Online

Read about the risks, complications and side effects of LVC in

• Independent websites
• Other: Booklet from the Institute of Ophthalmologists website

Read about patients' experiences (good or bad)

• On www.lasik-eyes.co.uk

How patient selected clinic and/or surgeon

• I compared prices between clinics.
• The location was convenient.
• I read good reviews or reports about the clinic or surgeon.

The following were or were not discussed with the patient during the consultation process:

How long patient could expect to be glasses-free after surgery

YES

Night vision problems and what causes them

Don't remember

Other problems associated with laser surgery, such as double vision/ghosting and loss of contrast sensitivity

Don't remember

Patient's pupil size at night and how it may affect the quality of the surgical result

NO

Patient's corneal thickness and what it means for eligibility for additional procedures

YES

Patient's professional vision requirements (present or future)

YES

The possibility of dry eye requiring ongoing treatment (i.e. after the healing period)

YES

Overall experience with the CLINIC

5

Impression of the CLINIC's quality standards

5

How CLINIC's staff responded if patient had any problems or concerns after surgery

5

Overall experience with SURGEON

4

Time SURGEON spent with patient before the day of surgery

4

SURGEON answered patient's questions prior to surgery

5

SURGEON discussed pre-operative evaluation test results with patient

5

SURGEON spent time with patient at follow-up examinations

4

I decided to have laser surgery as I had been short-sighted since the age of 14, but the onset of middle-age presbyopia meant I was now removing my glasses for close work and reading. I knew I was soon likely to need varifocal lenses, but was annoyed at their exorbitant price. This factor, together with friends' and colleagues' tales of frequent varifocal prescriptions to cope with changing Ôlong sightedness', convinced me that laser surgery might be cheaper in the long run.

So far this has proved to be the case. My presbyopia has been stable since surgery, and my Ôreading' lenses (inserted into existing frames) and spare glasses only cost £40 and £12 respectively, against the £250-500 I had been quoted for varifocals.

However, I must admit to feeling a little disappointed at needing glasses at all, as I had hoped for at least a couple of years' spec-free existence, given that I wasn't wearing them for close work before the op. And as far as convenience goes, I've gained little, having moved from mislaying my glasses and/or never having them on me when I needed them for distance vision, to doing exactly the same for close work!

More seriously, although I was diagnosed as having 20/20 (6/6) vision in the post-operative check-ups, I feel my distance vision deteriorated slightly about four months later, and is now not as sharp as it was with glasses before treatment. It's not so bad that I feel I need to wear glasses again, or even have an eye test to check this (especially as I don't drive), and certainly my vision seems to have been stable for the past year. But occasionally I wonder if further deterioration will occur and I'll end up having to wear varifocals after all!

However, so far I don't regret having the treatment, as the financial, cosmetic and other practical benefits have outweighed the drawbacks. I accept that there may be some long-term consequences, but don't worry about these at the moment. My advice to healthy, problem-free individuals in their 20s and 30s would still be to Ôgo for it', in order to enjoy, in all probability, 10 or 20 years of glasses-free existence, but that anyone older should expect to still need reading glasses and possibly varifocals.

Surgery date(s)

December 2002

Time elapsed when survey submitted

7 months

Age at time of surgery

29

Type of surgery

LASEK

Laser

Unknown

One eye or both

Both

Correction before surgery

Glasses

Vision before surgery

Short-sighted: ÒMediumÓ

Astigmatism: Yes

Vision after surgery (acuity or prescription)

6/6

Does patient now need glasses or contact lenses?

NO

Adverse effects (visual)

Loss of contrast sensitivity

Floaters

Altered optical quality

Adverse effects (other)

Dry eye requiring daily treatment

Light sensitivity

Did patient feel the surgery achieved his/her goal?

YES

Does patient recommend to acquaintances?

YES

Patient's rating of results (1-10, 10 is best)

8

Primary motivating factors in decision to have LVC

• Cosmetic benefits
• Convenience of not wearing glasses
• Generally tired of the hassle of glasses or contacts and attracted by the idea of not needing them

Read about the benefits of LVC in...

• Advertising

Read about the risks, complications and side effects of LVC in

• Unspecified (not acquaintances, press or websites)

Read about patients' experiences (good or bad)

• Did not read about any other patients' experiences.

How patient selected clinic and/or surgeon

• I compared prices between clinics.
• The location was convenient.
• My surgeon had done thousands of procedures.
• My surgeon was a consultant ophthalmologist.

The following were or were not discussed with the patient during the consultation process:

How long patient could expect to be glasses-free after surgery

YES

Night vision problems and what causes them

YES

Other problems associated with laser surgery, such as double vision/ghosting and loss of contrast sensitivity

YES

Patient's pupil size at night and how it may affect the quality of the surgical result

YES

Patient's corneal thickness and what it means for eligibility for additional procedures

NO

Patient's professional vision requirements (present or future)

NO

The possibility of dry eye requiring ongoing treatment (i.e. after the healing period)

NO

Overall experience with the CLINIC

5

Impression of the CLINIC's quality standards

5

How CLINIC's staff responded if patient had any problems or concerns after surgery

5

Overall experience with SURGEON

4

Time SURGEON spent with patient before the day of surgery

1

SURGEON answered patient's questions prior to surgery

3

SURGEON discussed pre-operative evaluation test results with patient

4

SURGEON spent time with patient at follow-up examinations

1

Selected ÒHealing ProcessÓ

I was not informed as to the time it would take for me to see properly.  I could not open my eyes for 4 days at all, I rang the eye surgery and she said that was normal but nothing was said to me either before or after the actual surgery.

I was off work for 4 weeks, I could have gone back to work after about 3 weeks, but as I work on computers all day I still had some blurry vision. 

The 4 weeks of healing was a nightmare, I had double vision, blurred vision and very tired eyes.  I couldn't keep them open, I was disorientated all of the time.

I still now (after 7 months) have very very dry eyes, especially on a morning when I wake up, they hurt to open so I have to open them with my fingers, also if I have them closed for more than a few seconds, they won't open without my fingers helping.

Those few weeks mean nothing now though, it's over and I can see perfectly.  I wouldn't go through it again, but now I can say it was worth it.  I would recommend it to anyone.

Surgery date(s)

October 2001; corrective treatment in 2002 for optical defects

Time elapsed when survey submitted

21 months since original procedure

Age at time of surgery

49

Type of surgery

LASIK

Laser

Original treatment Ð unknown; Mel-70 with WASCA used for re-treatment.

One eye or both

Both

Correction before surgery

Soft contact lenses

Vision before surgery

Long-sighted: +3L, +4R

Astigmatism: -3L, none right

Vision after surgery (acuity or prescription)

After original procedure:

+ 2.00 Ð3.00 x 160 left

+ 4.00 Ð3.00 x 160 right

After corrective treatment: 20/15 in left eye. As of time of completion of this survey, awaiting treatment of right eye.

Does patient now need glasses or contact lenses?

YES

Adverse effects (visual)

From original procedure:

• Very poor night vision
• Loss of contrast sensitivity
• Floaters
• Refractive imbalance

Corrective treatment improved these in the re-treated eye.

Adverse effects (other)

Dry eye requiring daily treatment

Did patient feel the surgery achieved his/her goal?

NO

Does patient recommend to acquaintances?

YES

Patient's rating of results (1-10, 10 is best)

5

Primary motivating factors in decision to have LVC

• Poor vision with contact lenses
• Generally tired of the hassle of glasses or contacts and attracted by the idea of not needing them

Read about the benefits of LVC in...

• Advertising
• Family, friends or acquaintances who have had laser surgery

Read about the risks, complications and side effects of LVC in

• Television, radio or other press reports

Read about patients' experiences (good or bad)

• Did not read about any other patients' experiences.

How patient selected clinic and/or surgeon

• I intended to try out more than one clinic, but I was impressed with the first one and went ahead with them.

The following were or were not discussed with the patient during the consultation process:

How long patient could expect to be glasses-free after surgery

NO

Night vision problems and what causes them

NO

Other problems associated with laser surgery, such as double vision/ghosting and loss of contrast sensitivity

NO

Patient's pupil size at night and how it may affect the quality of the surgical result

NO

Patient's corneal thickness and what it means for eligibility for additional procedures

NO

Patient's professional vision requirements (present or future)

NO

The possibility of dry eye requiring ongoing treatment (i.e. after the healing period)

NO

Overall experience with the CLINIC

3

Impression of the CLINIC's quality standards

5

How CLINIC's staff responded if patient had any problems or concerns after surgery

4

Overall experience with SURGEON

3

Time SURGEON spent with patient before the day of surgery

2

SURGEON answered patient's questions prior to surgery

2

SURGEON discussed pre-operative evaluation test results with patient

3

SURGEON spent time with patient at follow-up examinations

3

Right eye: +3.00 Ð 3.00 x 165 before surgery + 2.00 Ð 3.00 x 160 after surgery

Left eye: + 4.00 before surgery, + 4.00 Ð 2.00 x 170 after surgery Ð Astigmatism!

I was told after surgery my double vision, Òforks,Ó dry eyes and night vision problems would settle down.  After 3 months it still hadn't and my surgeon mentioned she would consult other surgeons on a seminar to find out why.  Never heard anymore, she left the practice.

Consulted another surgeon, diagnosis was damage to both eyes through lasik.

He used a WASCA wavefront machine to determine corneal thickness, operated on left eye with MEL70 and I now have 20/15 (better than 20/20) vision.

He is soon to enhance the right eye so that I don't have to wear +1 glasses to read the computer or a newspaper.  I have every faith in his diagnosis Ð let's face it, your eyes are the windows to the world!

I am on medication for depression/anxiety, which I feel LASIK surgery, in the wrong hands, has contributed to.

Has the problem(s) been resolved?

YES in one eye

Did the patient get additional opinions and if so how many?

YES, one

Has the surgeon told the patient what caused the problem(s)?

YES

Did the patient have risk factors s/he did not know about?

NO

Who took responsibility to look after the patient, examine and treat them when the problem(s) arose: the surgeon, other staff in the clinic, or neither?

Surgeon

Surgery date(s)

March 2003

Time elapsed when survey submitted

4 months

Age at time of surgery

44

Type of surgery

LASIK (monovision correction)

Laser

Unknown

One eye or both

Both

Correction before surgery

Glasses

Vision before surgery

Slightly longsighted and astigmatic

R sph 0.75, cyl -0.75, axis 165, add +1.00

L sph 0.50, cyl -1.25, axis 175, add +1.00

Vision after surgery (acuity or prescription)

Not clearly reported

Does patient now need glasses or contact lenses?

Yes, but had not expected to

Adverse effects (visual)

Distorted vision

Poor night vision

Difficulty adapting to monovision

Adverse effects (other)

Substantial light sensitivity

Did patient feel the surgery achieved his/her goal?

NO

Does patient recommend to acquaintances?

NO

Patient's rating of results (1-10, 10 is best)

4

Primary motivating factors in decision to have LVC

• Cosmetic benefits
• Convenience of not wearing glasses

Read about the benefits of LVC in...

• Advertising
• Family, friends or acquaintances who have had laser surgery

Read about the risks, complications and side effects of LVC in

• Television, radio or other press reports
• Family, friends or acquaintances

Read about patients' experiences (good or bad)

• Unspecified (not websites or news reports)

How patient selected clinic and/or surgeon

• I compared prices between clinics.
• The location was convenient.

The following were or were not discussed with the patient during the consultation process:

How long patient could expect to be glasses-free after surgery

NO

Night vision problems and what causes them

NO

Other problems associated with laser surgery, such as double vision/ghosting and loss of contrast sensitivity

NO

Patient's pupil size at night and how it may affect the quality of the surgical result

NO

Patient's corneal thickness and what it means for eligibility for additional procedures

NO

Patient's professional vision requirements (present or future)

NO

The possibility of dry eye requiring ongoing treatment (i.e. after the healing period)

YES

Overall experience with the CLINIC

1

Impression of the CLINIC's quality standards

1

How CLINIC's staff responded if patient had any problems or concerns after surgery

1

Overall experience with SURGEON

2

Time SURGEON spent with patient before the day of surgery

1

SURGEON answered patient's questions prior to surgery

2

SURGEON discussed pre-operative evaluation test results with patient

2

SURGEON spent time with patient at follow-up examinations

1

I expected to have both eyes done but was only told on the day of surgery, when I saw the Surgeon, that he would recommend monovision.  I had told them that I have dry eyes due to a thyroid problem, which I am prescribed gel for, but was told that would be alright.  The Surgeon was going to do the Lasik procedure on my left eye as it had slightly poorer reading ability, but when he went to start he discovered what he thought was a scratch on the lens of my eye (it turned out to be so dry that it just looked like a scratch).  He suggested doing Lasek, but I had already decided I didn't want that.  We then agreed he should use the Lasik procedure on the right eye.  Something went badly wrong due to the dryness of my eye.  I am managing without glasses for short sight but my vision is often distorted.

Has the problem(s) been resolved?

NO

Did the patient get additional opinions and if so how many?

YES, 3

Has the surgeon told the patient what caused the problem(s)?

Not sure

Did the patient have risk factors s/he did not know about?

Yes: large pupils, dry eyes due to thyroid condition

Who took responsibility to look after the patient, examine and treat them when the problem(s) arose: the surgeon, other staff in the clinic, or neither?

Other staff (optometrist)

Surgery date(s)

January 2003

Time elapsed when survey submitted

6 months

Age at time of surgery

48

Type of surgery

LASIK

Laser

Bausch & Lomb

One eye or both

Both

Correction before surgery

Toric contact lenses

Vision before surgery

Short-sighted L-4.75, R-4.25

Astigmatism: Yes

Vision after surgery (acuity or prescription)

6/4

Does patient now need glasses or contact lenses?

Yes as expected for certain activities

Adverse effects (visual)

None reported

Adverse effects (other)

None reported

Did patient feel the surgery achieved his/her goal?

YES

Does patient recommend to acquaintances?

YES

Patient's rating of results (1-10, 10 is best)

10 with reservations

Primary motivating factors in decision to have LVC

• Convenience of not wearing glasses
• Convenience of not wearing and caring for contact lenses
• Generally tired of the hassle of glasses or contacts and attracted by the idea of not needing them

Read about the benefits of LVC in...

• Family, friends or acquaintances who have had laser surgery
• Online

Read about the risks, complications and side effects of LVC in

• Website of the clinic patient attended
• Websites sponsored by other clinics or industry sources
• Independent websites

Read about patients' experiences (good or bad)

• On an independent web forum (other than www.surgicaleyes.org and www.lasik-eyes.co.uk)

How patient selected clinic and/or surgeon

• My surgeon had done thousands of procedures.
• My surgeon was a consultant ophthalmologist.
• My surgeon had extensive training in refractive surgery.
• My surgeon had very low complications rates.
• I read good reviews or reports about the clinic or surgeon.

The following were or were not discussed with the patient during the consultation process:

How long patient could expect to be glasses-free after surgery

YES

Night vision problems and what causes them

YES

Other problems associated with laser surgery, such as double vision/ghosting and loss of contrast sensitivity

YES

Patient's pupil size at night and how it may affect the quality of the surgical result

YES

Patient's corneal thickness and what it means for eligibility for additional procedures

YES

Patient's professional vision requirements (present or future)

YES

The possibility of dry eye requiring ongoing treatment (i.e. after the healing period)

NO

Overall experience with the CLINIC

5

Impression of the CLINIC's quality standards

5

How CLINIC's staff responded if patient had any problems or concerns after surgery

5

Overall experience with SURGEON

5

Time SURGEON spent with patient before the day of surgery

5

SURGEON answered patient's questions prior to surgery

5

SURGEON discussed pre-operative evaluation test results with patient

5

SURGEON spent time with patient at follow-up examinations

4

Editor's note: Patient's comments provided contained too many references to specific clinic and surgeon for publication.

Surgery date(s)

September 2002

Time elapsed when survey submitted

10 months

Age at time of surgery

40

Type of surgery

LASIK

Laser

Unknown

One eye or both

Both

Correction before surgery

Soft contact lenses

Vision before surgery

Short-sighted: -3.5 both eyes

Astigmatism: Yes

Vision after surgery (acuity or prescription)

20/20

Does patient now need glasses or contact lenses?

NO

Adverse effects (visual)

None reported

Adverse effects (other)

None reported

Did patient feel the surgery achieved his/her goal?