Large pupils, high prescription numbers and the particular curve of the cornea all could lead to a patient being rejected for surgery, he said. Reinstein said only one per cent of patients, when asked, say they have night vision problems after surgery, and that two to three per cent already have night vision problems before the surgery takes place. Research by Dr. Evanne Casson, who advised the CMA on its guidelines, found between 30 and 60 per cent of patients had long-term night vision problems. Dr. Howard Howland at the department of neurobiology at New York's Cornell University argued statistics provided by the industry are not accurate. This is close to cosmetic surgery.
Any risk factor is too much of a risk.
Ron Link, the executive director of Surgical Eyes, a non-profit patient support group in the U.S., said night vision problems are one of the most common complaints heard by his organization. The laser industry may be feeling besieged after a summer of sagging market shares and lawsuits, including one filed last week by Lasik Vision's former executive Michael Henderson, alleging his own surgery and that of more than 100 patients was botched. And especially if potential clients seem to be shying away because of the risks. Rabe said he's followed the studies in Canada and in his native Germany. But for some, the attraction of not wearing glasses is still strong enough to make them take the leap, even when the risks are known.