Patient Advocates: No Unusual LASIK Problems With Alcon LADARVision

Despite accusations presented in a 28 August 2004 London Times feature
article suggesting that the Alcon LADARVision excimer laser used to
perform LASIK and other refractive surgery procedures had "started
malfunctioning, causing wildly erratic results", a nongovernmental
organization states that it has no reports of unusual problems with
the laser.

"We have seen nothing from patients or surgeons that would indicate
there is any systemic problem with the safety or efficacy of the Alcon
laser", states Glenn Hagele, Executive Director of the California
based Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance.

"Through our www.USAEyes.org website we respond to tens of thousands
of requests for information about LASIK issues, including
complications, but have not seen any unusual complaints regarding
Alcon's LADARVision.  From our vantage", says the director of the
international patient advocacy organization, "all seems normal in the
US and the UK."

US based EBW Laser Inc., which acquired 10 LADARVision lasers to lease
to clinics, and a surgeon in Washington state, filed counter-suits
over a year ago after being sued by Alcon to recover millions of
dollars for non-payment of leasing fees.  "It is probably revealing
that neither of the parties in these lawsuits made public claims of
inferiority of the Alcon equipment until they were sued for
collection", says Hagele.  "All medical devices have limitations, but
evidence that supports unusual problems with this particular laser
seems to be lacking."

Alcon representatives have consistently denied any systematic problem
associated with LADARVision.

The Times article did not provide specific information regarding any
patients receiving an adverse LASIK outcome due to malfunctioning
equipment built by Swiss-owned Alcon.  One British LASIK center is
contacting 49 patients who received LASIK in 2001 "as a courtesy" to
determine if they have had any adverse effects.  "It has been our
experience," reports Hagele, "that patients do not wait three years to
report adverse effects.  If there were problems, the doctors would
have heard immediately."

Laser surgery, which costs about £1,000 per eye, is currently
performed in over 90 clinics in Britain on more than 90,000 people a
year.   In the US, laser eye surgery is performed on more than 1
million each year.

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance

Email to glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org

http://www.USAEyes.org
http://www.ComplicatedEyes.org

I am not a doctor.