I found this online but personally I would approach this kind of surgery with the greatest amount of caution -- the very greatest amount of caution, even in the West.

Common Questions About Having LASIK Surgery Done In ChinaBy New Vision Eye Clinicin

• Health Living
• Medical Care

When considering undergoing LASIK surgery, there are many questions that play on people's minds. As with all surgeries, as much information and advice as possible should be sought so the correct decision for the individual can be made. Below are the most frequently asked questions about LASIK surgery by patients of the New Vision Eye Clinic in Shanghai.

Is LASIK surgery safe in China?

A procedure such as LASIK surgery, as with all surgeries, isn't necessarily unsafe based on the country it is performed in. Research the facility and the doctor who will perform the surgery. A reputable clinic should be more than happy to show you around their facility and provide information about their practitioners' qualifications and experience. Enquire about the number of procedures performed by their doctors and their success rates for surgery. As with LASIK surgery in any country, there are risks involved and the results can vary. Generally speaking, bad side effects occur in 2% of all LASIK surgeries, and 20/20 vision is restored in about 90% of patients.

How do I know if the clinic is qualified to perform high-quality LASIK surgery?

There are several ways to assess a clinic's suitability for performing LASIK surgery. First, look at the facilities of the clinic. In the field of LASIK surgery, technology is constantly being updated in order to improve the effectiveness of LASIK procedures. Finding a clinic affiliated with an academic medical centre, such as a teaching hospital or one that is well-known for advanced technology greatly increases the chance of receiving the best surgery. Secondly, look at the surgeon who will perform the surgery. An experienced and qualified practitioner who is up to date with current medical information should be sought. As a general guide, only receive treatment from a doctor who has performed LASIK surgery for no less than 3 years and has performed no less than 500 surgeries in this time. Check to see if the practitioner is a member of any medical association or society – chances are these doctors are keeping up to date with the latest technologies in their fields.

What is the newest technique for LASIK surgery?

Approximately 90% of vision correction surgeries performed are LASIK procedures. But you may soon start hearing about a new refractive surgery procedure called SBK (or "sub-Bowman's keratomileusis"). SBK is similar to LASIK, and may be less likely to cause dry eyes and other complications. Studies show that SBK surgery, because it is done on a smaller scale, is a more comfortable procedure that achieves a faster visual recovery rate, a higher rate of return to visual acuity, and a decrease in the risk of dry eye and other complications that have made some people apprehensive about receiving refractive surgery. SBK is the advancement in refractive surgery that many people have been waiting for.

How long will the surgery take?

In total, the visit to the clinic or hospital may take around 60 to 90 minutes. Most of this time is spent doing paper work and taking pre-surgery medication and eye drops to prepare for the surgery. The procedure takes around 15 minutes per eye, with the actual surgery time being around 1 minute. In terms of the recovery period, allow for a 24-hour period of rest, most of which should be sleep, and your vision should be relatively clear. It can take up to 1 month before the full correction made by the surgery can be experienced.

Is LASIK surgery painful?

You won't feel pain during LASIK or PRK, because your surgeon will place anaesthetic drops in your eye first. Afterward, he or she may prescribe medication if necessary. Many LASIK patients report no more than mild discomfort for a day or so - often it's an itchy feeling, as if sand were in the eye. This minor pain passes quickly. Painkillers can be taken if necessary.

Am I a good candidate for LASIK surgery?

Your eye care practitioner can help you decide, but below are some general guidelines to check out before your doctor visit:
• You must have healthy eyes - no glaucoma, infections, cataracts, severe dry eye, or any other condition that would affect postoperative healing.
• You must be an adult: at least 18 for some procedures and at least 21 for others.
• Your vision must be stable for at least a year before surgery.
• If you're pregnant or nursing, your hormonal levels can affect the shape of your eye. You'll need to wait until hormones are back to normal levels.
• You cannot have a degenerative or autoimmune disease, since this would affect healing.

What does procedure entail?

First, make an appointment for the primary consultation to find out more about LASIK surgery. In the case of wanting a pre-surgery examination done after the consultation, inform the nurse or receptionist, as this requires a longer appointment of around 2 hours. Upon favourable results from the examination, the doctor will schedule an appointment for the surgery.

LASIK is an outpatient procedure, which means you'll spend around an hour at the surgeon's office and walk out afterwards. Someone else should drive you home, since your vision might be a little blurry right after surgery.

You'll lie down in a reclining chair. The surgeon will place anaesthetic drops in your eye, position your head under the laser and place an eyelid speculum (retainer) in your eye to hold the lids open.

Then the surgeon creates a thin flap in the top of the cornea, folds it back out of the way, uses the laser to remove some corneal tissue, and then puts the flap back in place. The LASIK surgeon uses a computer to adjust the laser for your particular prescription. You will be asked to look at a target light for a short time while the laser sends pulses of light to painlessly reshape your cornea.

What are the risks of LASIK surgery?

If you are considering LASIK eye surgery, your first step is to choose a good LASIK surgeon who can evaluate whether LASIK is right for you. Your LASIK surgeon will examine your eyes to determine their health, what kind of vision correction you need, and how much laser ablation (corneal tissue removal) is required. The doctor will also ask about any health conditions that may disqualify you altogether for LASIK surgery.

If you are considering LASIK and worried that something could go wrong, you might take comfort in knowing that it's extremely rare for complications from this procedure to cause permanent, significant vision loss. Also, many complications can be resolved through re-treatment or enhancements of the eye.

Selecting the right eye surgeon probably is the single most important step you can take to decrease any risks associated with LASIK. An experienced, reputable surgeon will make sure you are properly screened to let you know up front if you aren't a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery. Consult your eye care professional for further details about the possible risks involved with LASIK surgery.

I have more questions about LASIK. Who should I ask?

The absolute best source of information about LASIK surgery is a LASIK surgeon. All you have to do is make an appointment. Dr. Lian Jing Cai and Dr. Zhang Lei at the New Vision Eye Clinic are LASIK specialists. Both doctors are certified by the Shanghai Board of Health and are both qualified and experienced to diagnose and treat medical diseases and disorders of the eye, in addition to specializing in refractive surgery. In addition, Dr. Lian is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the International Society of Refractive Surgery and the Ophthalmology Branch of China Medical Association. He is also the council member of Laser Medicine of Chinese Medical Association and Shanghai Laser Medicine Association. Dr. Lian also teaches ophthalmology to the residents at Shanghai Jiao Tong University at the RuiJin Hospital.

safe bet, wait and do it home, or take a trip to hong kong, japan or koreea, it;s ten times safer there then here

China is different medical system... Clinics and private hospitals are inferior to government hospitals... As my wife is a doctor and Chinese ... I have closer relation with the system...

the best doctors are in government hospital... No.1 hospital... Mostly called people's hospital.. The same hospital will have the best and sophisticated equipments as well...

good doctors don't like to join private hospitals or clinics... They are more clean may be.. Sill .. They are just doing business...

about LASIK ... My wife got SMILE LASIK done last month... In no.1 people's hospital of nearby city...as in comparison hospital in that city had the latest, best and most expensive machine...

in smile LASIK the outer part will not be removed full circle as in former LASIK methods...the same laser which cuts the lens also cuts a small arc say 20 degree... And the cut part is removed through that... This method is yet to get approval in US and most other countries... But my own study gave me the confidence to go for it... 

The machine speaks English ... Btw.. 

Its safer for future as there s no risk of disc location in case of some accidental impact on eyes... Also less nerves are cut compared to old forms of LASIK.... So less dry eye issues..

it costed around 18000 cny.. But she is doing well... Restored full eye sight the very next  day... I would recommend this to anyone...

Korea has 19 Lasik clinics and has been doing the surgeries for over 15 years. China has been at it for 5 years. Your eyes are too precious to put at risk so I highly recommend my homeland.

Cheapness comes at a 'PRICE'.

If I were you,I would go to Korea to do it as already advised.

Cheapness comes at a 'PRICE'.

If I were you,I would go to Korea to do it as already advised.

I had it done about 6 years ago in Nanning. It seems they did a pretty good job.

God, I would really love to get this done. Been wearing glasses since the 4th grade, and I can't deal with contacts.  The funny thing is, the top vision correction doctor in my area in the US is Chinese.  But I think I'd still prefer to pay him double or triple than trust some chop shop in the mainland.

You get what you paid for. If it's cheap don't expect anything great!

"Anyone..............talk about it?" Oh my gosh,you're overreacting a bit. I've never heard of

someone dying from LASIK surgery. One of course does need to be prudent.