LASIK marketing that downplays risks, side effects, and complications is irresponsible, in my opinion. Dr. Stephen Updegraff does not disclose all of the known risks and problems of LASIK in his commercials.

Why do you suppose LASIK surgeons advertise more aggressively than all other doctors? I believe it's because they are trying to sell a surgery that nobody really needs. They brainwash you with their ads into feeling as if you'll never live up to your full potential as a human being until you free yourself of the burden of your glasses. They risk YOUR eyesight so they can swipe your credit card for several thousand dollars.

Some leaders in the field of ophthalmology have spoken out against LASIK advertising:

H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD, American Academy of Ophthalmology Executive Vice President:
"In medicine our role as professionals is to put the patient's interest ahead of our own. Professional societies have had ethical standards that underscore the importance of that principle. Historically this went unquestioned. It was a medical need that caused the patient to seek out the physician... Now this principle is being tested as we see increasing efforts to attract or even entice patients into practices. This is a continuation of an activity that began with cataract surgery some 10 years or so ago. It is the nature of a competitive marketplace. It also sends a strong message to the consumer: 'Let the buyer beware'."
EyeNet Magazine, June 2000

Francis W. Price, MD:
"It's a shame. I'll lay it all on the government and the lawyers. They gave doctors the right to advertise".
EyeWorld, March 2001

Douglas D. Koch, MD:
"Do we practice medicine in the spirit of Hippocrates, or do we sell used cars?"
J Cataract Refract Surg. August 2003

Steve Arshinoff, MD:
"I read the editorial on advertising in ophthalmology with great interest and wholehearted agreement. The seemingly progressive tendency to irresponsible advertising, particularly of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), is becoming an embarrassment to all of us who wish to practice ethical medicine and do no harm to our patients."
J Cataract Refract Surg. September 2004

From the FDA's LASIK website:
"Be cautious about 'slick' advertising and/or deals that sound 'too good to be true.' Remember, they usually are."

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces consumer protection laws prohibiting false and misleading ads of medical devices. The FTC released updated LASIK advertising guidelines in October, 2008. Dr. Stephen Updegraff, MD should ensure that his ads are in compliance.

Report false or misleading LASIK advertising to the Federal Trade Commission.