Laser in situ keratomileusis and laser epithelial keratomileusis, both myopia correctional treatments, are effective and safer than many people think, the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency said Wednesday.

According to its research of 2,638 people who have received these eyesight-correctional treatments between 2002 and 2004, about 95.2 percent of LASIK patients and 90.3 percent of LASEK patients said the treatments have been effective over that time.

About 8 percent of LASIK and 13.5 percent of LASEK patients said their myopia has degenerated in a milder pace. About 23 percent of them felt slight discomfort in seeing at night and another 17 percent said their xerophthalmia has worsened but wasn’t bad enough to regret the surgery, the report said.

The NECA estimates that more than 100,000 people have received one of the surgeries every year. “Many people dread the surgeries because of the fear of possible side effects. In fact there have been minor cases reported as side effects but they are not severe enough to say the surgeries are dangerous or a waste of money,” Choi Ji-eun, senior researcher of the project, said.

(baejisook@heraldcorp.com)