36 EyeWorld Asia-Pacific | September 2024 by Ellen Stodola, Editorial Co-Director REFRACTIVE SURGERY A Decline In LASIK Procedures: What This Means For Refractive Surgery As A Whole LASIK volumes in the U.S. have declined over the last year, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, according to several EyeWorld Editorial Board members who commented on their recent observations which compared LASIK volumes to refractive surgery volume as a whole. Luke Rebenitsch, MD According to Dr. Rebenitsch, data from the past year showed that LASIK volumes were down between 10–15%, yet overall refractive surgery has not declined as much. Additionally, the data showed some increase in lens-based procedures. Within his own clinic, Dr. Rebenitsch saw similar trends, which matched up to other national trends in LASIK that his clinic was consistent with in 2023, compared to 2022. In terms of marketing, Dr. Rebenitsch finds that LASIK is still the “catch-all” term for vision correction. The majority of the general public still sees LASIK as synonymous to vision correction. “But we have seen more and more people coming in asking for other options such as custom lens replacement and refractive lens exchange by name, knowing the options for presbyopia,” he said. “We have been educating our market for around 10 years on these additional refractive surgery options. As a result, we have seen a significant uptick in patients asking for procedures by name rather than just LASIK.” In his clinic, the volume of ICLs has increased over time, too, he said. When presented the option of the EVO ICL (STAAR Surgical) vs. LASIK, they are seeing more opting for the ICL. Dr. Rebenitsch thinks that LASIK is down because patients under the age of 40 are more affected by economic challenges than those over 40. Those under 40 don’t have as much money as they used to, but Dr. Rebenitsch thinks it will bounce back. “Our March numbers were much better than February. I think this is just a temporary drop in LASIK,” he said. Refractive lens exchange is growing because it’s something “new” that is being promoted by more surgeons and practices, and many patients are just hearing about it now. The outcomes of advanced technology IOLs are also much better than they were 5–10 years ago, he said. LASIK is here to stay for years, Dr. Rebenitsch said. “In years past, we only qualified 70–75% of people for LASIK; now, more than 90% of people who come to our clinic qualify for something, and that’s fun as a refractive surgeon to have all those tools. It’s good for patients, too, because they get better visual outcomes and a procedure more tailored to them.”
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