THERE has been much controversy surrounding laser eye surgery over the last week.

Consumer organisation Health Which? published a report which suggested that many patients could be gambling with their eyesight when undertaking laser treatments.

David Allamby, medical director of Horizon Laser Eye Centres, based in Bolton and Manchester, is a private specialist in refractive surgery. He believes the potential risks of laser eye surgery are reduced dramatically if carried out by a surgeon with qualifications similar to his own.

He said: "Laser eye surgery is safe in the right hands, if it is carried out by the right surgeon with the right experience and knowledge. He must operate only when a patient is suitable for the treatment and must have the correct equipment."

It was advisable for a patient to put his trust in a surgeon who, like himself, carried out refractive eye procedures on a full-time basis, rather than dividing his time between laser eye surgery and other eye operations, such as cataracts.

Mr Allamby said: "Any surgical procedure carries risks, but laser eye surgery is much safer in the right hands."

There are around 10 to 15 full-time refractive eye surgeons in this country. , and about 120 who work part-timeThe new CK procedure, which uses radio waves rather than a laser, is the least invasive of all the procedures. There is no blade used and the important central-line-of-sight part of the cornea is not touched. Unlike traditional laser treatment, no tissue is removed.

Mr Allamby said 50pc of people would need just one eye treating, and 50pc would need correction to both eyes.