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Oliver D. Schein, MD, MPH; Joanne Katz, ScD

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

There is little doubt that the effectiveness and safety of laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) have improved during the past decade. However, the comparisons that Mathers et al¹ drew in their letter to the Archives and the conclusions reached in comparing contact lens and LASIK safety are inadequate and misleading.

First, the assumption that a 1-year (or annualized) risk of ulcerative keratitis associated with contact lens wear can be extrapolated to estimate a 10- or 20-year risk by simply multiplying by 10 or 20 is almost certainly wrong. Imagine a 10-year contact lens wearing span for an individual. If he or she survives the first 2 years, for example, without developing a corneal ulcer, then the risk will certainly be less throughout the succeeding years. This individual is, by definition, a "survivor," one whose underlying risk for disease is less than average. . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Accurate Calculation of Longer-term Incidences From Short-term Incidence Values
Knox Cartwright
Arch Ophthalmol 2008;126:579-580.
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Accurate Calculation of Longer-term Incidences From Short-term Incidence Values--Reply
Schein and Katz
Arch Ophthalmol 2008;126:580-580.
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