Lasik Technology Has Made Advances In The Past Decade...

...but remains a luxury item with side effects. ( BY CARLA K. JOHNSON, The Associated Press, December 19, 2005)

CHICAGO -- Christopher Tomes, 43, opened his eyes one morning, looked out the window and could read the license plate of a parked car -- without his glasses.

He'd had Lasik eye surgery the day before, becoming one of the 5 million Americans seeking to shed their eyeglasses with laser vision correction during the past decade.

"It's exceptional," Tomes said of his vision nine days after surgery. "I'm extremely happy I did it."

Since U.S. doctors began offering laser vision correction in 1995, safety has improved and new methods give people with more severe vision problems a chance to have the procedure.

But there's still no guarantee of 20/20 eyesight, the procedure's long-term safety is unknown and one recent study showed nearly 18 percent of patients require a second Lasik treatment. A lack of health insurance coverage keeps the procedure a luxury item, affordable only to people who can spare $3,000 to $5,000.

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