Long-term contact lens use more risky than LASIK

A recent study published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery found that a person wearing contact lenses for more than 10 years is six times more likely to develop microbial keratitis (MK) compared with those who have undergone LASIK treatment.The results showed that after one year of daily soft-contact lens wear there were approximately two fewer cases of MK per 10,000 compared with LASIK. However, as the surgery was assumed to have essentially a one-time risk for infection, after five years of extrapolation contact lens wearers were found to show 11 more cases per 10,000 than those with surgery.The researchers engaged in a meta-analysis of records collected from the PubMed database between Decber 2014 and July 2015. It was discovered that many contact lens wearers failed to follow the proper hygiene processes that protect against the infections that cause MK, while lens type and history of use also contributed to the risk.A study conducted in Australia appeared to support the findings, after it revealed there was a 1/200 chance that a person wearing lenses for more than 10 years would experience a serious or sight-threatening infection.