ROCHESTER, Minn., November 12, 2009 - Lasik and PRK laser eye
surgery to reduce the need for glasses does not harm the cornea
according a long-term study reported in the November Archives
of Ophthalmology. Study may dispel the fears of people regarding
the damaging effect of various vision-correction procedures on cornea.
May Clinic researchers Sanjay V. Patel and William M. Bourne
evaluated the effect of laser vision correction on cell density
of the endothelium, a layer of cells on the back of the cornea.
Endothelial cell density decreased by 5.3% (P<0.001) from
baseline nine years after refractive surgery, which is consistent
with endothelial density loss on average was same in the eyes of
persons not treated by laser surgery.
Doctors said, "Our results support the findings of numerous short-term
studies that found no significant endothelial cell loss after LASIK
and PRK."
