Advertisements suggest that laser surgery is a safe and effective alternative to wearing glasses or contact lenses. Successful patients are delighted with the result and recommend the procedure. For many people it is successful, particularly for the first few years after which the normal changes in vision that occur during life may require the use of correcting lenses again.

Laser refractive surgery is not reversible.
Unfortunately a small percentage of patients are left with dry eyes, flare around lights which is especially disturbing when driving, poor vision which can't be corrected with glasses, and on rare occasions an eye may be legally blind. There have been at least 12 ACC claims for medical misadventure resulting from laser surgery in New Zealand. Though a small number, the effect on the person is devastating.

We advise caution, and strongly advise that you have a thorough understanding of the risks before undertaking PRK or LASIK surgery.

There are some other great uses for several types of lasers in ophthalmological care of medical eye conditions. They seal leaking blood vessels in the eye when haemorrhages are present on the retina, activate the drug used to treat the wet form of macular degeneration, clear new tissue from the back of intraocular lenses following an occasional complication from cataract surgery, and are used to treat some forms of glaucoma.

We offer independent advice on all types of laser surgery.