Optometry

Laser treatment for nearsightedness wins near-unanimous approval

A month and a half after the procedure, more than 97 percent of people who have had laser surgery to permanently treat myopia, or nearsightedness, say they are satisfied with their decision. “For overall satisfaction, quality of vision, glare, night vision or driving, people who have opted for laser surgery are not disappointed,” explains Dr. Nadia-Marie Quesnel, optometrist and Professor at Université de Montréal’s School of Optometry.

Dr. Quesnel directed a study by two doctoral students, Martin Bernard and Dominic Tremblay, to compare client satisfaction with two laser surgery techniques marketed by Bausch&Lomb. The first procedure, known as PlanoScan, is the most common and least expensive ($500 to $700 per eye). The second technique, Zyoptix, is offered to patients who suffer from more acute myopia or who have larger pupils. It costs about $250 to $350 more per eye.

“Our research shows that there was no significant difference between patients who received either of these two treatments,” explains Martin Bernard. “This information is important since it means that clients who chose Zyoptix have no regrets, even through they paid more than those who chose PlanoScan.”

In Quebec, nine clinics now offer one of these two laser surgery techniques to treat myopia. So, who is opting for this technique? “The average age of a person who uses this technique is 38,” explains Dr. Quesnel. This age group suffers from nearsightedness in the range of -1 to -9 (the treatment is not recommended for more severe cases of myopia) and is tired of wearing glasses. Some clients have problems with their vision that prevent them from wearing contact lenses, usually because their eyes are too dry.”

Conducted as part of their introduction to research, the survey designed by the students (who have since become optometrists) consisted of analyzing psychometric questionnaires completed by 237 respondents who had undergone laser treatment in the previous months. The IRIS ophthalmology clinic, ChirurgiVision and the Institut de microchirurgie oculaire et laser in Quebec City agreed to participate in the study. Of the 237, 201 received PlanoScan and 36 underwent Zyoptix. Their research took one year to complete and will likely be presented at a European conference and was preceded by a literature review. They discovered in their review that no researcher had yet come up with the idea of comparing the satisfaction of these two groups of patients.