Real life complication rates of Lasik - Nidek EC-5000 excimer laser

[Scientist]

Just thought it would be interesting to pull out some large case studies, laser by laser and look at complication rates. FDA clinical trials are performed by the best surgeons with an ideal patient population. What really happens when someone like you or me walks into a laser vision clinic? We may get some idea from this large retrospective study of 683 eyes on the Nidek lEC-5000 excimer laser:

J Refract Surg. 2003 Mar-Apr;19(2 Suppl):S247-9.
Complications of photorefractive keratectomy and laser in situ keratomileusis.
Lui MM, Silas MA, Fugishima H.

METHODS: Retrospective study of excimer laser in 683 eyes: PRK was
performed in 103 eyes and LASIK was performed in 580 eyes using the
Nidek EC-5000 excimer laser.


thin flaps 0.73%
free caps 0.58%
buttonholes 0.43%
small flaps 0.43%
striae that necessitated lifting and irrigating the flap 2.04%
Epithelial ingrowth 1.17%
Interface debris 0.58%
haze 0.43%
glare 0.43%
microwrinkled flaps 4.39%
postoperative dry eye with pain 6.15%
dislocated flaps or flap glare 0.43%
decentered ablations 0.29%
toxic keratitis 0.29%
Loss of 1 or more lines of BSCVA 0.73%
Keratoconus 0.29%
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TOTAL COMPLICATIONS 19.39%

Late postoperative complications were 98 cases of spherical equivalent
refraction more than or equal to 1.00 D (14.3%) with 6 months follow-up.

So let's add patients whose corrections were missed: 14.30%

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33.69%

So around 33.7% of patients had a complication or missed their correction
by at least a diopter. Ready to sign up for surgery? And I suppose you
are wondering what the authors concluded from this study?

"CONCLUSION: Refractive surgery with the Nidek EC-5000 excimer laser was safe, with few complications."

Did they not add up their own numbers???