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THE Ministry of Health (MOH), concerned over misleading advertisements by some Lasik clinics, wants to meet eye surgeons tomorrow to discuss what can or cannot go into their ads.
A letter from MOH to all ophthalmologists doing Lasik said it has received feedback that some print and online advertisements have given the public 'unrealistic expectations' about what the procedure can fix.
Results are oversold, while the risks and possible side-effects are downplayed. And some ads cite success rates for Lasik done elsewhere, said an MOH spokesman.
Several ophthalmologists in private practice told The Straits Times that they felt the ministry's warning was a matter of time in coming.
After all, thousands of people from here and overseas have been flocking to eye surgeons for the procedure.
With Lasik surgery being 'cosmetic', these patients do not get government subsidies; neither can they draw down on their Medisave funds for the operation, so people often go to ophthalmologists in private practice.
But even so, public sector hospitals have done more than 6,000 Lasik operations in the past year.
Competition is so stiff that some clinics offer 'discounts' to patients who sign up immediately or who are willing to do both eyes at the same time.
Some in medical circles are concerned that, in the race for the patient's dollar, proper 'before' and 'after' care may be compromised, or that patients are not briefed on the risk of post-surgery complications. Worse, they fear some surgeons are taking on patients not suited for the treatment.
Dr Jerry Tan, an ophthalmologist in private practice, has been seeing more patients from other clinics that need 'repair jobs' - five to six such patients a week, up from three to four a year ago.
Dr Gerard Chuah, another private practitioner, says that on average, he tends to three complaints a month, mainly related to the side effects of Lasik.
Women in their 40s and up, for example, have a higher risk of getting permanently dry eyes.
While doctors agree that Lasik is generally a very safe procedure, patients should know there are risks.
Precision is key in Lasik, he said, adding: 'The distance between a good outcome and a mediocre or disastrous one is a fraction of a millimetre.'
The Singapore National Eye Centre has seen at least one patient who needed a corneal transplant after a botched Lasik job.
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