Like any surgery, LASIK has its risks. But new research suggests that in the long run, LASIK may be safer than wearing contact lenses.

William Mathers, M.D. and colleagues at Oregon Health and Science University's Casey Eye Institute (Portland OR) reviewed several large studies of complications from contact lens wear and LASIK surgery.

The results of their study, published in the October 2006 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, include:

• Contact lens wearers have approximately a 1-in-100 (1.0%) risk of developing a serious contact lens-related eye infection over 30 years of use.


• Contact lens wearers have about a 1-in-2,000 (0.05%) chance of experiencing significant vision loss as a result of a contact lens-related eye infection over the same period.


• The chance of LASIK surgery causing a significant loss of vision is about 1-in-10,000 (0.01%).

The researchers admit that a direct comparison of the risks of contact lens wear and LASIK are difficult because surgical complications are almost immediate whereas the risks associated with contact lenses accumulate over years of wear. The risks associated with long-term use of contact lenses also increase when lenses are worn overnight or are not cleaned and disinfected properly.

"Almost everyone who wears contact lenses violates some principal of proper use at some point," says Dr. Mathers. But contact lens-related infections can occur even when proper lens wear and lens care guidelines are followed, he warns.

The researchers acknowledge that their risk estimates of contact lens wear and LASIK surgery are "approximate and subject to change." They also point out that further advances in laser surgery and contact lens technology should make both approaches to vision correction even safer in the future.

It's estimated that up to 38 million Americans wear contact lenses. Each year, approximately 1.2 million laser vision correction surgeries are performed in the United States.


LSN Editor's Note: Proper lens care and avoiding overnight wear or excessive hours of daytime lens wear are key factors in managing the risks associated with contact lenses. But several studies have shown that most contact lens wearers wear their lenses too long and/or don't care for them properly. For these individuals in particular, LASIK may indeed be a safer vision correction option.


SOURCE: Mathers W, Fraunfelder FW, Rich LF. Risk of LASIK surgery vs contact lenses. Arch Ophthalmol. 2006; 124:1510-1511.

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