By Alan Mozes

NEW YORK, Dec 20 (Reuters Health) -- The increasingly popular surgical correction for near- and far-sightedness called LASIK surgery is not recommended for women who have recently had a baby or who are planning a baby soon, according to doctors at the New York Eye Surgery Center in New York City.

"Because there's such a high volume of (surgeons) who are doing this now, we get a lot of people who think it's just for them -- but it's not for everyone," said Dr. Kristin Pisacano of the Center, which treats a variety of eye conditions including cataracts, glaucoma, and refractive surgery.

In an interview with Reuters Health, Pisacano said, "The public needs to be aware of the guidelines that have been set" for this procedure. Specifically, Pisacano explained that women considering the procedure need to be aware that the hormonal changes of pregnancy could have an impact on the cornea's shape and density, and could complicate the healing process and the success of the surgery. Because of such considerations and the negative side effects related to possibly having to undergo a second corrective surgery to account for these corneal changes, the Center recommends that women who plan to become pregnant within 6 months of LASIK surgery not have the procedure done at that time.

In addition to cautioning women who are or are considering becoming pregnant, doctors at the Center issued a statement saying that the procedure was not for men or women over 40 who are only having trouble reading. The statement also strongly urged consumers to research the details of the surgery to understand the risks and benefits of the LASIK procedure. People considering the surgery should also ask the surgeon about his or her training and experience with the procedure.

Pisacano said that LASIK is a "highly successful procedure," with over a million surgeries performed in the United States in the 2 years since FDA approval -- and many more in the 10 years it has been performed in countries such as Canada, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia.

"There really aren't any long-term complications specifically related to LASIK," said Pisacano. But she cautioned that the medical condition of the patient is always an important factor in assessing the potential benefits and risks of an operation -- both before surgery and also once the surgery has been performed and has become a part of the patient's medical history. "People need to know that if they have surgery in the future they will need to tell their ophthalmologist that they've had LASIK because it might change the next procedure that might be taken for another health issue. Once the LASIK procedure has been healed, it's hard to perceive it," Pisacano said, unless the patient informs the doctor.

For informed patients who choose to undergo the procedure, Pisacano said the results from LASIK surgery are usually very good. "Vision is almost always better. Ninety percent of patients see 20/40 without glasses afterwards -- which is the statistic used to describe a functional ability to drive without glasses," explained Pisacano.

She said that there is a wealth of information available to any consumer who wants to look into the facts. "Pretty much every doctor who does this has a website that explains the procedure -- risks, benefits, and statistics. The information is out there."

"Copyright Reuters Limited 2000"

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