NICE says laser surgery should not be on the NHS

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.