Are quality of life outcomes after LASIK as good as visual acuity outcomes? A 2006 review of clinical LASIK outcomes proved inconclusive, so the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in conjunction with the National Eye Institute (NEI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is forming the LASIK Study Task Force.

This task force will organize and oversee a clinical trial across the country to measure quality of life after LASIK. A pilot study, currently underway at the NEI, will help researchers to develop study methods and grading scales. Researchers hope to more closely evaluate post-LASIK dissatisfaction with a consistent grading scale.

The FDA says that it is also planning a public meeting in the near future to discuss the topic. It will release all findings on its LASIK Web site, www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik.