Effects of an Educational Seminar on Rejection Demographics in Patients Presenting for Laser In Situ Keratomileusis

Survey of Contact Lens-Wearing Habits and Attitudes Toward Methods of Refractive Correction: 2002 versus 2004

“…Most of the rejections were the result of the presence of cataract or for a lack of acceptance or understanding of presbyopia; two concepts that are somewhat difficult for patients to grasp on their own and are of particular importance to patients above age 40. 5 That study and others concluded that the most important element in the process of assisting patients in the right choice of refractive error correction was for a "qualified eye care professional to examine the patient in a thorough and critical manner" and that the patient is rather ill-equipped to selfdiagnose their own suitability for a refractive surgical procedure. 11 Eye care patients' negative attitudes about EW contact lenses have been forged for many years by conscientious practitioners who were informing patients of the increase in risk of corneal infections from low dK hydrogel lenses.…”

“…Perhaps the problematic outcomes with monovision or uncorrected presbyopia have patients aware that older patients may have more difficulty with LASIK, are more likely to need retreatment, or to be rejected as candidates for the treatment. 5,7 Hill found that of 200 consecutively surveyed LASIK patients (mean age 38 years), 24.5% required reading glasses at least some of the time after their LASIK procedure, notwithstanding their overall satisfaction with the procedure. 7 From another point of view, the proportion of refractive surgery practitioners who would wait rather than conduct a refractive surgery procedure rose dramatically with increasing patient age and degree of hyperopia in hypothetical models in a recent survey.…”

“…4 However, before they turn to an eye care practitioner, patients will have received abundant, often sound yet conflicting information that is difficult for them to dissect as it relates to their individual refractive and ocular condition. 5,9,10 Fortunately, unlike patients, clinicians are trained to recognize the complex factors that contribute to suitability for the various methods of refractive correction, the patient's age and refractive error, the condition of their ocular surface, and pupil size to name just a few.…”

“…2,3 Early in this decade, there was an increase in the amount of direct advertising for LASIK, thus, patients in eye care offices very likely had less information about overnight wear of contact lenses than they had received about LASIK. 4,5 Whether the patients would actually choose LASIK more than overnight wear of CW or EW contact lenses when the real-world factors of differences in cost, predictability, reversibility, and vision quality were incorporated is impossible to determine. It is possible, however, to measure whether there have been any significant changes in the degree of interest in or use of overnight wear with contact lenses after the introduction of new contact lens technology in the past few years by surveying two groups of patients presenting for eye care in 2002 and 2004.…”