ABSTRACT
Laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) is a rapidly advancing technique with evolving preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative strategies. Despite the efforts to evaluate surgical techniques critically, to compare instruments, and to minimize the incidence and optimize the management of post-operative complications, differences in protocols create confounding variables that prohibit an accurate compilation and analysis of data collected from multiple sites. Standardization allows for the manipulation and study of individual approaches. Standardized protocols also can improve the quality and efficiency of patient care by preparing patients and staff for an expected clinical course and therapeutic regimen. Lastly, standardized protocols foster the detection of situations of biologic variability that lead to suboptimal surgical outcomes.
