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Your example of a Denver Lasik clinic that offers a “guarantee” if the patient is not 20/20 raises some very important issues regarding these kinds of claims.

I work for a nonprofit Lasik patient advocacy. We do not provide Lasik, just Lasik information and certification of Lasik doctors who meet our patient outcomes requirements.

At first blush a Lasik 20/20 guarantee may sound good and it is reassuring to think that the doctor is so certain of the outcome that such warranty is available. The problem is these offers do have limitations and perhaps some surprises.

The Snellen 20/Whatever test is sharp edged well-known black letters on a white background being tested in a controlled lighting environment. This situation does not well represent the reality of everyday life.

Snellen is a valuable measurement system, but it is not the only consideration for quality of vision. A Lasik patient may have 20/20 vision in bright daylight, but debilitating halos emitting from light sources at night. Does the guarantee apply? A patient with temporary Lasik induced dry eye may be 20/20, but only with the regular use of expensive preservative-free eye drops. Has the Lasik doctor met the requirement? And of course, what if the patient was 20/15 before surgery?

Any warranty a patient is able to receive has value and is a sign of good faith by the Lasik provider, but these kinds of warranties may be of less value than originally assumed, open up a lot of questions, and give a false impression of the real probability of success.

Buyer be aware.

Glenn Hagele
Executive Director
USAEyes

I am not a doctor.

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