Elsevier

Ophthalmology

Volume 116, Issue 4, April 2009, Pages 691-701
Ophthalmology

Original article
LASIK World Literature Review: Quality of Life and Patient Satisfaction

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2008.12.037Get rights and content

Purpose

To analyze the patient reported outcome of satisfaction after LASIK surgery.

Participants

Patient data from previously reported studies.

Methods

A literature search conducted for the years 1988 to 2008 that included pertinent LASIK surgery information from the review of 2915 retrieved citations. All abstracts from these citations were reviewed and 1581 were deemed to be relevant for review. Complete copies of each of these relevant (1581) articles were obtained, and after thorough analysis each was rated based on the strength of the study design and weight of evidence. A level I rating was assigned to properly conducted, well-designed, randomized clinical trials; a level II rating to well-designed cohort and case-control studies; and a level III rating to case series, case reports, and poorly designed prospective and retrospective studies. Level I and II rated, peer-reviewed articles were entered into a database, and level III articles were eliminated. A total of 309 articles were incorporated into this database, representing level I and level II well-controlled studies of primary LASIK surgery.

Main Outcome Measures

Patients' satisfaction rates and factors associated with dissatisfaction.

Results

Nineteen of the 309 database articles (6.1%) reported on both patient quality of life and satisfaction and together encompassed a total of 2198 subjects. The procedures from these 19 articles took place between 1995 and 2003. The overall patient satisfaction rate after primary LASIK surgery was 95.4% (2097 of 2198 subjects; range of patient satisfaction for the 19 articles was 87.2%–100%). The patient satisfaction rate after myopic LASIK was 95.3% (1811 of 1901 patients), and after hyperopic LASIK was 96.3% (286 of 297 subjects).

Conclusions

Based on this review, worldwide, an average 95.4% of patients were satisfied with their outcome after LASIK surgery. With 16.3 million procedures performed worldwide, and more than a decade of clinical studies and technological innovation, LASIK surgery should be considered among the most successful elective procedures. LASIK surgery compares more favorably with other elective surgical procedures in terms of generally higher satisfaction rates.

Financial Disclosure(s)

Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Section snippets

Sources and Methods of Literature Search

This literature review of all articles on LASIK published in the peer-reviewed journals from 1988 through 2008 was performed using a multistage, systematic approach. In the first stage, a computerized search was performed to identify all articles related to LASIK surgery using 2 databases: (1) the PubMed database (National Library of Medicine) and (2) Ovid Article Indexes from the Medical University of South Carolina Library, which included MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases. The last

Results

A total of 309 peer-reviewed articles published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals from 1994 to 2008 (Fig 2) with a clinical focus on primary LASIK surgery were identified. These articles represent studies which took place from all around the world.

The study design of the 309 articles is shown in Figure 3. A total of 54.7% (169/309 articles) represent prospective studies, and the remaining 45.3% (140/309 articles) represent retrospective or case-controlled studies. Follow-up in these

Discussion

This article represents a review of the world's literature involving LASIK surgery. This review was conducted in a systematic, transparent, methodical, and comprehensive manner to ascertain the level of satisfaction reported in the LASIK literature. This study considered the methodology of the review, as well as the reported outcomes of reported patient satisfaction. Data acquired via this systematic world literature review demonstrated that the vast majority of patients having undergone LASIK

References (73)

  • N.S. Jabbur et al.

    Wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis using the WaveScan system for correction of low to moderate myopia with astigmatism: 6-month results in 277 eyes

    J Cataract Refract Surg

    (2005)
  • M.K. Powers et al.

    Psychosocial findings in radial keratotomy patients two years after surgery

    Ophthalmology

    (1984)
  • B.A. Levinson et al.

    Referrals to the Wills Eye Institute Cornea Service after laser in situ keratomileusis: reasons for patient dissatisfaction

    J Cataract Refract Surg

    (2008)
  • V. Shakespeare et al.

    Measuring patient-based outcomes in a plastic surgery service: breast reduction surgical patients

    Br J Plast Surg

    (1997)
  • A.P. Brown et al.

    Outcome of reduction mammaplasty–a patients' perspective

    Br J Plast Surg

    (2000)
  • S. Withey et al.

    One hundred cases of endoscopic brow lift

    Br J Plast Surg

    (2002)
  • T.W. Bragg et al.

    Patient satisfaction following abdominoplasty: an NHS experience

    J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg

    (2007)
  • C. Floros et al.

    Complications and long-term results following abdominoplasty: a retrospective study

    Br J Plast Surg

    (1991)
  • A.E. Partal et al.

    CustomVue laser in situ keratomileusis for myopia and myopic astigmatism using the Visx S4 excimer laser: efficacy, predictability, and safety

    J Cataract Refract Surg

    (2006)
  • J. Horowitz et al.

    Refractive surgery in Israel Defense Forces recruits

    J Cataract Refract Surg

    (2008)
  • T. Lim et al.

    Comparison of the IntraLase femtosecond laser and mechanical microkeratome for laser in situ keratomileusis

    Am J Ophthalmol

    (2006)
  • M. O'Doherty et al.

    Five year follow up of laser in situ keratomileusis for all levels of myopia

    Br J Ophthalmol

    (2006)
  • M.D. Hammond et al.

    Refractive surgery in the United States Army, 2000-2003

    Ophthalmology

    (2005)
  • M.D. Bailey et al.

    Outcomes of LASIK for myopia with FDA-approved lasers

    Cornea

    (2007)
  • D.J. Doughman et al.

    Loss of vision after laser in situ keratomileusis

    Eye Contact Lens

    (2003)
  • M. Soroka et al.

    Patient satisfaction with LASIK surgery in New York State

    Manag Care Interface

    (2005)
  • J.C. Hill

    An informal satisfaction survey of 200 patients after laser in situ keratomileusis

    J Refract Surg

    (2002)
  • M.A. el Danasoury et al.

    Excimer laser in situ keratomileusis to correct compound myopic astigmatism

    J Refract Surg

    (1997)
  • A.E. Miller et al.

    Patient satisfaction after LASIK for myopia

    CLAO J

    (2001)
  • M.D. Twa et al.

    A prospective randomized clinical trial of laser in situ keratomileusis with two different lasers

    Am J Ophthalmol

    (2005)
  • R.K. Akhaury et al.

    Patient motivation for laser in situ keratomileusis in the state of Bihar

    J Refract Surg

    (2004)
  • G.W. Schmidt et al.

    Evaluation of the relationship between ablation diameter, pupil size, and visual function with vision-specific quality-of-life measures after laser in situ keratomileusis

    Arch Ophthalmol

    (2007)
  • O. Ibrahim

    Laser in situ keratomileusis for hyperopia and hyperopic astigmatism

    J Refract Surg

    (1998)
  • O.O. Uçakhan

    Laser in situ keratomileusis for compound myopic astigmatism using the Meditec MEL 70 G-Scan excimer laser

    J Refract Surg

    (2003)
  • S. Slade

    Contralateral comparison of Alcon CustomCornea and VISX CustomVue wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis: one-month results

    J Refract Surg

    (2004)
  • S. Payvar et al.

    Laser in situ keratomileusis for myopic astigmatism with the Nidek EC-5000 laser

    J Refract Surg

    (2002)
  • Cited by (253)

    • Atypical microbial keratitis

      2023, Ocular Surface
    View all citing articles on Scopus

    Manuscript no. 2008-432.

    The Joint LASIK Study Task Force Members: Richard L. Abbott, MD, Flora Lum, MD, Samuel Masket, MD, Jennifer Morse, MD, Terrence P. O'Brien, MD, Konrad Pesudovs, OD, PhD, Steven C. Schallhorn, MD, Heather, M. Skeens, MD.

    Financial Disclosure(s): Kerry D. Solomon is a consultant for Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Allergan, Inc., Advanced Medical Optics, Advanced Vision Research, Bausch & Lomb, Incorporated, Eyemaginations, Inc., and QLT. Eric D. Donnenfeld is a consultant for Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Allergan, Inc., Advanced Medical Optics, Advanced Vision Research, Bausch & Lomb, Incorporated, Eyemaginations, Inc., Pfizer, QLT, TLC, and Wavetec. Richard L. Lindstrom is a consultant for AcuFocus Inc, Advanced Medical Optics, Advanced Refractive Technologies, Alcon Laboratories, AVS, Bausch and Lomb, Inc, BioSyntrx, Clarity Ophthalmics, Clear Sight, CoDa Therapeutics, EBV Partners, Egg Factory, Encore, Eyemaginations, Inc, Glaukos Corporation, High Performance Optics, Improve Your Vision, I-Therapeutix, Lensar, LenSX, S.V.L. Sciences, Midwest Surgical Services, Minnesota Eye Consultants, P.A., Neurovision, NuLens, OccuLogix, Ocular Surgery News/Slack, Omeros Corporation, Pixel Optics, Quest, Refractec, RXVP, Supply Eye, 3-D Vision Systems, TCL Vision, Tracey Technologies, Versant, and Vision Solutions Technologies.

    Supported in part by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Foundation, Fairfax, Virginia; NIH/NEI EY-014793 (vision core); and an unrestricted grant to MUSC-SEI from Research to Prevent Blindness, New York, NY.

    Group members listed after the references.

    View full text