A recent LASIK panel symposium has revealed the progresses and plans for the LASIK Quality of Life Collaboration Project.

The study, conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Eye Institute (NEI) and the US Department of Defence (DoD), analyses the patient-reported outcomes of LASIK surgery.

Dr David W. Parke, American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) CEO, said: "LASIK has proven to be safe and effective and has high patient satisfaction rates. We expect that a LASIK quality of life study, relying on sound science and relevant clinical experiences, will be able to shed new light on the post-LASIK patient experience."

The FDA, the AAO and the American Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) discussed the project's present developments, anticipated developments and the study's phases.

In phase one patient-reported outcomes were assessed with a web-based questionnaire. Phase two will be a clinical study of military personnel called Patient-Reported Outcomes with LASIK (PROWL-1). The subjects will be questioned preoperatively and then at 1, 3 and 6 months postoperatively. The last phase will be named PROWL-2 and will consist of a national multicentre clinical study.

Various studies published suggest that 95% of patients are satisfied with LASIK outcomes. Initial problems with LASIK have been glare, halos and dry-eye.