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Laser eye surgery should not be routinely offered to patients on the NHS, but current evidence does suggest it is safe enough and works well enough in selected cases.

This is the key message of the latest guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on photorefractive eye surgery for the treatment of refractive errors.

Updating guidance issued in December 2004, the latest advice covers the three most common types of laser eye surgery: Lasik, PRK and Lasek.

It states that clinicians undertaking laser eye surgery should ensure patients are aware of benefits and potential complications and that risks of surgery should be weighed against the risks of wearing spectacles or contact lenses.

Clinicians should review clinical outcomes of all patients and are encouraged to collect longer-term follow-up data.

The guidelines also stress the need for clinicians to receive adequate training before performing any of the procedures in accordance with standards produced by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

Bruce Campbell, chairman of the interventional procedures advisory committee, said: 'We hope today's guidance will help to reassure people thinking of having laser eye surgery either on the NHS or privately. We are not suggesting laser eye surgery should be offered to patients routinely on the NHS because most people's eye problems can easily be corrected by wearing spectacles or contact lenses.'

Download the updated documents here:

Full guidance on Lasik
Information leaflet for the public

Or visit the NICE web site

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