The safety claims of laser eye surgery clinics, one of the fastest growing areas of cosmetic surgery, may be misleading, according to investigations.

While many clinics claim that the surgery is close to risk-free with complication rates as low as one in 1,000, investigators found that as many as one in 10 surgeries fail, making failed laser eye operations 100 times more common than advertised.

An opthalmic surgeon prepares the eye for laser treatment

The 0.1 percent complication rates refer to severe problems such as corneal scarring, however the average failure rate for laser eye surgery, which involves reshaping corneas to correct short or long sightedness, is 10 percent.

Many of these patients have to have additional corrective surgery and are often charged extra for the procedure. Corrective procedures, which can leave patients more vulnerable to complications, are typically needed due to inexperienced surgeons, human error and uneven healing.

Additionally, according to investigations, patients may be diagnosed by junior staff and may not actually see the surgeon until shortly before their scheduled procedure, leaving little time for adequate assessment.

While many laser eye clinics continue to claim that complications are unlikely and can almost always be corrected, critics are raising concerns that advertisements are sending out a false message about the safety of laser eye surgery.

Telegraph.co.uk April 5, 2003