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In my mind, the big difference is advertising.

I hear Lasik ads regularly. They never/rarely mention side effects. Just "hey, come get Lasik and see better!"

I never hear ads for boob jobs, nose jobs, or lipo.

And medication ads are always ended with a listing of side effects. "Complications include bleeding, puking, bloat, pimples, and death."

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That might be a fair argument but I got lasik about 20 years ago (it was the best money I ever spent). And when I went through my assessment more than one doctor and at least one office person went through the risks with me and I was given all the paperwork explaining the risks - that I read. So IF all Lasik facilities do that, explain the inherent risks and give them to you in written form, then people are doing this with informed consent. It isn't like you see a commercial and then go get your eyes zapped no questions asked...there is a pretty through assessment and discussion of the risks involved and what to expect afterwards.

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