Posted on 02/12/2011 8:33:57 PM PST by Nachum
In Washington, D.C., a culture that embraces regulatory oversight and rule-making and where bureaucracies are everywhere, no federal agency is more warren-like than the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the safety and efficacy of food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and medical devices.
The health and well-being of every American depends on the FDA's rigorous collecting, sifting and interpreting of data to approve products ranging from those that cure nail fungus to devices that electronically zap the brain to relieve anxiety. FDA regulators are scientist bureaucrats who tirelessly navigate the tedious but essential world between reports and medicine in a poorly lit building with very narrow hallways. They do important work, but FDA scientists don't always get it right.
This is a story about one scientist haunted by what, he fears, was a bad decision. Between 1996 and 2000, the scientist, Dr. Morris Waxler, was chief of the FDA's Diagnostic and Surgical Devices Branch and in charge of approving the LASIK medical device to restore visual acuity. And now, Waxler thinks that the FDA's standards were not tough enough. In 2008, an FDA advisory panel was urged by unhappy patients to re-evaluate the long-term effects of LASIK surgery and around the same time, patients began contacting him personally to report bad outcomes, including blurred and double vision.
(Excerpt) Read more at politicsdaily.com ...
Eyes cannot be replaced.
I have always been skeptical about the long-term effects of any eye surgery.
I have a strong feeling my skepticism will be answered when the people who had LASIK and the like lose a lot of their vision in their latter years. It doesn’t make me happy, it just makes me right.
My lens Rx hasn’t changed much in 20 years (I literally can wear glasses I had 20 years ago and my vision is just fine) — I will stick with glasses thank you very much.
Bump for later tally.
I had mine done about ten years ago when I was in my mid 40s. Before that, from the time I was a kid, the only time I had my glasses off was when I was in the shower or washing my face. Other than that, the first thing I did in the morning was put on my glasses and the last thing I did when I was ready for sleep was to put my glasses on the nightstand.... where I could find them without the ability to see them in the morning. If I ever had my glasses knocked off for some reason, I'd better have somebody with me, because I wasn't going to be able to find them back by myself.
Since the Lasik surgery, I can see things good up close and I can see things good at a distance. The only real problem has been a bit of a loss of night vision... just to the extent that I have a hard time tying on a new fishing lure in low-light conditions.
Getting rid of the eyeglasses was one of the best things I've ever done for myself.
You’re right. Wearing glasses is a minor pain sometimes but absolutely not enough to justify having someone carve around MY eyes with a laser. Hope it works out OK for those who have had it, but not for me.
I had Lasik over 4 years ago. No worries. Good decision.
My only issue is that I keep having to look for reading glasses for close up stuff. Other than that, my astigmatism was so bad that I had constant headaches for years. Glasses did not help. I haven’t had a headache since September!!!
Tiger Woods won like 20 majors after getting LASIK. I personally know a dozen folks who have gotten it. No reports of any problems, except dry eye in one who had dry eye before.
I must see stars.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I got a hammer, come here.
cut your eyes with a laser, what could possibly go wrong?
I think anyone would! That is why they use excimer lasers instead.
I have perfect vision and i’m in my 40s. The doctor says I’m gonna need bifocals in about 2-3 years though...VERY far sighted but so far my eyes are able to adjust so I would never know I was far sighted without a doctor telling me so. The doctor put drops in my eyes once that paralyzed whatever muscle it is that corrects for far sightedness and WOW, WAS i BLIND! Couldn’t see anything closer than 30 feet.
I won’t get lasik. I’ll do just fine with bifocals. Or maybe I’ll just do like they did in the old days and read with a giant magnifying glass. In fact, after the drops the doctor gave me, that’s how I worked for a few hours. One hand on the keyboard and one hand holding a magnifying glass in front of the computer screen.
It isn’t particularly easy to find an ophthalmologist who has had LASIK.
Corneas can be replaced.
It doesn’t make me happy, it just makes me right.
No it doesn't.
I got LASIK six years ago. No regrets, whatsoever.
please name that quack, so people will avoid him???no
I don’t know anybody who has had the experience of “short live” improvements.
I think the FDA does more harm than good. LASIK appears to be safe and effective in the vast majority of cases.
I think it is safe. It was new in the early eighties. Read about its early trials. Opthalmogist cut on corneas every day. They perform cataract surgery by implanting new plastic lenses. They replace corneas from doners to those sightless. My opinion, the cutting of the cornea to correct astigmatism has been shown to be safe.
>>Corneas can be replaced. <
Corneas are not eyes.
>>No it doesn’t.<<
Yes it does. Better safe than blind.
My brother, who has needed corrective lenses nearly all his life had laser eye correction performed close to a decade ago and still won’t shut up about how it was the best decision he ever made.
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