By Sabine Vollmer, Staff Writer
The first public hearing on how complications from laser eye surgery affect a patient’s quality of life will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, April 25, at the Gaithersburg Holiday Inn in Gaithersburg, Md., according to a notice published today in the Federal Register.
Laser eye surgeons who are collaborating with the Food and Drug Administration to collect patient information hope to have three of their colleagues testify. Patients dealing with complications from lasik — which stands for laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses — have also requested to speak at the hearing.
Patient petitions to more closely scrutinize lasik prompted the FDA two years ago to take another look at the medically unnecessary surgery, which is only loosely regulated. Testimony given at the public hearing may become part of a large, national study the FDA wants to conduct.
sabine.vollmer@newsobserver.com
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SOURCE: www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1011418.html