Clipping Board » Medical Affairs and Administration ─ Medical system, pharmaceuticals, and medical community-related reports
United Daily News / Reporter Liu Huimin / Taipei Report
Laser vision correction surgery is popular, but Dr. Tsai Jui-fang, a renowned ophthalmologist in Taiwan who introduced the procedure, has recently stopped performing it. A small number of patients who underwent the surgery years ago experienced unexplained vision deterioration, and as he could not "guarantee" the results for his patients, he has left the laser equipment idle in his clinic for the past six months.
Twenty years ago, when Tsai was the head of ophthalmology at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, he introduced "Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis" (LASIK). The procedure involves using a laser to create a corneal flap, lifting it to reshape the underlying cornea with another laser to correct refractive errors, and then repositioning the flap. Over the past two decades, Tsai alone has performed tens of thousands of such surgeries.
However, Tsai noted that six or seven recent cases involved patients whose vision deteriorated more than a decade after the surgery. One 45-year-old woman, who had 800 to 900 degrees of myopia before the surgery, saw her vision improve to 1.0 post-operation. Recently, however, her vision declined to the point where she could no longer drive, and examinations ruled out macular degeneration or other eye diseases. Other cases involved middle-aged men and women, leading Tsai to suspect potential long-term complications.
Tsai speculated that since the corneal flap does not fully heal after being repositioned—though it does not scar—inflammatory agents such as viruses could infiltrate the gap, potentially causing chronic inflammation that affects vision. Additionally, many of these patients were around 40 years old, an age when presbyopia or changes in the lens structure could contribute to vision decline.
Tsai said that six months ago, after observing several such cases, he was considering whether to upgrade to bladeless laser equipment. However, he ultimately decided to stop performing LASIK altogether, believing it was his responsibility to patients, even though the rate of unexplained vision deterioration was extremely low.
Tsai repeatedly emphasized that LASIK remains a highly precise and safe procedure capable of effectively correcting vision. The recognized side effects in the medical community include irreversible glare, dry eyes, and reduced night vision. However, due to the small number of cases with unexplained vision deterioration—which cannot be prevented preoperatively—he chose to discontinue the surgery.
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ NATIONAL/ NATS6/ 6901504. shtml#ixzz1mQG7Wj82
Ophthalmologist Tsai Jui-fang Stops Performing Laser Eye Surgeries
Laser vision correction surgery is popular, but Dr. Tsai Jui-fang, a renowned ophthalmologist in Taiwan who introduced the procedure, has recently stopped performing it. A small number of patients who underwent the surgery years ago experienced unexplained vision deterioration, and as he could not "guarantee" the results for his patients, he has left the laser equipment idle in his clinic for the past six months.
Twenty years ago, when Tsai was the head of ophthalmology at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, he introduced "Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis" (LASIK). The procedure involves using a laser to create a corneal flap, lifting it to reshape the underlying cornea with another laser to correct refractive errors, and then repositioning the flap. Over the past two decades, Tsai alone has performed tens of thousands of such surgeries.
However, Tsai noted that six or seven recent cases involved patients whose vision deteriorated more than a decade after the surgery. One 45-year-old woman, who had 800 to 900 degrees of myopia before the surgery, saw her vision improve to 1.0 post-operation. Recently, however, her vision declined to the point where she could no longer drive, and examinations ruled out macular degeneration or other eye diseases. Other cases involved middle-aged men and women, leading Tsai to suspect potential long-term complications.
Tsai speculated that since the corneal flap does not fully heal after being repositioned—though it does not scar—inflammatory agents such as viruses could infiltrate the gap, potentially causing chronic inflammation that affects vision. Additionally, many of these patients were around 40 years old, an age when presbyopia or changes in the lens structure could contribute to vision decline.
Tsai said that six months ago, after observing several such cases, he was considering whether to upgrade to bladeless laser equipment. However, he ultimately decided to stop performing LASIK altogether, believing it was his responsibility to patients, even though the rate of unexplained vision deterioration was extremely low.
Tsai repeatedly emphasized that LASIK remains a highly precise and safe procedure capable of effectively correcting vision. The recognized side effects in the medical community include irreversible glare, dry eyes, and reduced night vision. However, due to the small number of cases with unexplained vision deterioration—which cannot be prevented preoperatively—he chose to discontinue the surgery.
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ NATIONAL/ NATS6/ 6901504. shtml#ixzz1mQG7Wj82