Health Newsfeed # 1443
WAITING FOR LASIK
The price wars have broken out and the deals are hard to ignore. But look carefully
before you leap.
Surgical laser correction of common eye problems such as near and far-sightedness
has come a long way in a short time. Results are usually very good, and prices have
plummeted, though doctors warn that bargain-hunting is not necessarily the best way
to go about it. And no matter how enticing the offer, not everyone can take advantage.
Women undergoing significant hormonal changes, due to such things as pregnancy and
menopause, generally should wait Their vision is unstable, making refractive measurements
less reliable. Johns Hopkins ophthalmologist Dr. Terrence O'Brien.
Any women who is pregnant or who is breastfeeding should defer consideration for
elective LASIK surgery until after those states have been completed.
How long a wait? After at least two normal menstrual cycles, it's considered safe to
cast an eye on the LASIK procedure once again.
At the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, I'm Tom Haederle reporting.
Copyright 2000 The Johns Hopkins University. All rights reserved.
