Dr. Oz Undercover LASIK Surgery Investigation

As reported on the Dr. Oz Show, “LASIK surgery promises to fix imperfect eyesight, but is it safe? Investigative reporter and consumer expert Elisabeth Leamy goes undercover to find out more about the potential life-changing side effects of this popular surgery.”

The Dr. Oz Undercover LASIK Surgery Investigation: 

Click her for full video segment: 

“LASIK surgery is an unnecessary procedure on a very necessary part of your body. Almost no one needs LASIK, though many want it. That’s why it’s important to know the possible risks as well as the potential benefits. You’ve heard about the benefits in countless LASIK commercials. The Dr. Oz Show wanted to balance out the picture, by presenting the risks.”

“More than 20 million people worldwide have had LASIK surgery and many report they are thrilled with the results. But our investigation found this eye operation isn’t the foolproof fix it’s often made out to be. LASIK can have bad results, from unclear vision to visual distortions, from excruciating eye pain to a weakened eye structure.”

“Every year, an estimated 600,000 people get LASIK, according to the FDA. Those people may be responding to advertising like this:

  • “Throw away your glasses!”
  • “You’re only minutes away from 20/20 vision!”
  • “No more need for expensive contact lenses!”
  • “Have your vision permanently corrected!”
  • “Your eyes will have high-definition vision clarity!”

According to FDA rules, eye centers are not supposed to overstate the benefits of LASIK or understate the risks and yet we easily found hyped up LASIK commercial claims with a simple YouTube search.

The LASIK advertising promises above are not necessarily true. So here’s what all patients need to know about some of the complications of the procedure to make an informed decision about LASIK.”