LASIK Statistics
LASIK Statistics
Click on one of these links for LASIK-related statistics:
The LASIK Market | LASIK Patients | The LASIK Procedure
LASIK Risks and Complications | LASIK Cost | LASIK History
The LASIK Market
LASIK has been performed worldwide since 1990.
The worldwide refractive surgery market is expected to exceed $3 billion in 2008.
Globally, more than 17 million people have had LASIK surgery.
Approximately 8 million Americans have had LASIK surgery.
In 2005, approximately 1.3 million Americans had LASIK surgery.
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LASIK Patients
Nearly 90% of LASIK (and other vision correction surgery) patients recommend it to others. About 25% recommend it to more than 10 people.
When surveyed 3 or more months after surgery, 70% of LASIK patients said they felt "amazed and delighted that I could see so well."
38% of patients polled who are considering LASIK or who have already scheduled an appointment for vision correction surgery say their eye doctor is the most important source from which they sought advice about whether or not to have the surgery.
Among patients who have had LASIK or some other form of vision correction surgery, 10% say they decided to have the surgery because the doctor's office offered financing terms that made it affordable.
Of those having vision correction surgery in 2005, 54% were male and 46% were female.
Over half (56%) of those having vision correction surgery in 2005 were within the age group of 18 to 34.
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The LASIK Procedure
Approximately 50% of the LASIK surgeries performed in the U.S. in 2005 were custom, wavefront-guided procedures.
About 25% of the LASIK surgeries performed in the U.S. in 2005 were bladeless, all-laser procedures using an IntraLase femtosecond laser to create the corneal flap.
The typical LASIK surgery (for both eyes) takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes from set-up to completion.
Each pulse of the excimer laser used in LASIK surgery removes approximately one-quarter of a micron of corneal tissue (about 1/200th the thickness of a human hair) in about 12 billionths of a second.
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LASIK Risks & Complications
Dry eye is a common complication after LASIK. In one study, 20% of eyes undergoing LASIK exhibited chronic dry eye that lasted 6 months or longer.
The incidence of epithelial ingrowth after LASIK has been reported to be as low as 0.2 percent and as high as 15 percent. Commonly reported figures are 0.92 percent after primary LASIK and 1.7 percent after enhancement procedures.
The estimated incidence of corneal ectasia after LASIK is about 1 in 2,500 (0.04%).
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LASIK Costs
For the 6-month period ending June 2007, 61% of consumers who were planning to have vision correction surgery said the cost of the surgery was their most important consideration.
At the end of 2005, the average fee for all-laser, wavefront-guided LASIK surgery in the U.S. was between $2,200 and $2,400 per eye.
For the 12-month period ending September 2005, U.S. consumer spending on refractive surgery increased 33.2% over the previous year.
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LASIK History
The excimer laser technology used in LASIK surgery was originally developed by IBM Corp. in 1976 to etch computer chips.
The first refractive surgery in the U.S. using an excimer laser was performed in 1988.
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The LASIK Market | LASIK Patients | The LASIK Procedure
LASIK Risks and Complications | LASIK Cost | LASIK History
The LASIK Market
LASIK has been performed worldwide since 1990.
Source: Archives of Ophthalmology 1991; Vol 109, pp. 1699-1702.
The worldwide refractive surgery market is expected to exceed $3 billion in 2008.
Source: Kalorama Information (Ophthalmology Times - September 15, 2006)
Globally, more than 17 million people have had LASIK surgery.
Source: Market Scope (2007)
Approximately 8 million Americans have had LASIK surgery.
Source: Market Scope (2007)
In 2005, approximately 1.3 million Americans had LASIK surgery.
Source: Market Scope
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LASIK Patients
Nearly 90% of LASIK (and other vision correction surgery) patients recommend it to others. About 25% recommend it to more than 10 people.
Source: VisionWatch survey - data for 6-month period ending Mar 2007. (Jobson/VCA)
When surveyed 3 or more months after surgery, 70% of LASIK patients said they felt "amazed and delighted that I could see so well."
Source: VisionWatch - data for 6-month period ending Dec 2006. (Jobson/VCA)
38% of patients polled who are considering LASIK or who have already scheduled an appointment for vision correction surgery say their eye doctor is the most important source from which they sought advice about whether or not to have the surgery.
Source: VisionWatch survey - 2006 (Jobson/VCA)
Among patients who have had LASIK or some other form of vision correction surgery, 10% say they decided to have the surgery because the doctor's office offered financing terms that made it affordable.
Source: VisionWatch survey - data for 6-month period ending Sept 2006. (Jobson/VCA)
Of those having vision correction surgery in 2005, 54% were male and 46% were female.
Source: VisionWatch survey - 2005 (Jobson/VCA)
Over half (56%) of those having vision correction surgery in 2005 were within the age group of 18 to 34.
Source: VisionWatch survey (Jobson/VCA)
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The LASIK Procedure
Approximately 50% of the LASIK surgeries performed in the U.S. in 2005 were custom, wavefront-guided procedures.
Source: 2005 ASCRS Refractive Surgery Survey
About 25% of the LASIK surgeries performed in the U.S. in 2005 were bladeless, all-laser procedures using an IntraLase femtosecond laser to create the corneal flap.
Source: IntraLase Corp.
The typical LASIK surgery (for both eyes) takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes from set-up to completion.
Source: TLC Vision Corp.
Each pulse of the excimer laser used in LASIK surgery removes approximately one-quarter of a micron of corneal tissue (about 1/200th the thickness of a human hair) in about 12 billionths of a second.
Source: EyeMDLink.com
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LASIK Risks & Complications
Dry eye is a common complication after LASIK. In one study, 20% of eyes undergoing LASIK exhibited chronic dry eye that lasted 6 months or longer.
Source study: "Dry eye after LASIK for myopia: Incidence and risk factors."
Eur J Ophthalmol. Vol 17 No 1, 2007.
Eur J Ophthalmol. Vol 17 No 1, 2007.
The incidence of epithelial ingrowth after LASIK has been reported to be as low as 0.2 percent and as high as 15 percent. Commonly reported figures are 0.92 percent after primary LASIK and 1.7 percent after enhancement procedures.
Source: "Treating epithelial ingrowth after LASIK."
Review of Ophthalmology. Vol 14 No 7, July 2007.
Review of Ophthalmology. Vol 14 No 7, July 2007.
The estimated incidence of corneal ectasia after LASIK is about 1 in 2,500 (0.04%).
Source: "Combating corneal ectasia demands that surgeons expand their notions about the disease."
Ocular Surgery News, www.OSNSuperSite.com, July 3, 2008.
Ocular Surgery News, www.OSNSuperSite.com, July 3, 2008.
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LASIK Costs
For the 6-month period ending June 2007, 61% of consumers who were planning to have vision correction surgery said the cost of the surgery was their most important consideration.
Source: VisionWatch survey (Jobson/VCA)
At the end of 2005, the average fee for all-laser, wavefront-guided LASIK surgery in the U.S. was between $2,200 and $2,400 per eye.
Source: Market Scope
For the 12-month period ending September 2005, U.S. consumer spending on refractive surgery increased 33.2% over the previous year.
Source: VisionWatch survey (Jobson/VCA)
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LASIK History
The excimer laser technology used in LASIK surgery was originally developed by IBM Corp. in 1976 to etch computer chips.
Source: TLC Vision Corp.
The first refractive surgery in the U.S. using an excimer laser was performed in 1988.
Source: TLC Vision Corp.
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