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 Confronted by these stark assess_ents_ Government
 attorneys sought to advance the notion that laser surgery was
 non-invasive and thus msafer x than conventional filtration _
 procedures. Keith Greenf who is not a surgeon, suggests laser
 surgery is a virtual panacea offering effective relief to more
 than 80% of patients receivingthe therapy. 19-_/
 _ Dr. MezTitt_ a qualified surgeon who has performed
 laser surgery_ offers a much less optimistic views noting laser
 surgery is at best an #adjunct #_9-_/ to medical treatmentst
 Merritt describes the procedure as _ineffective H_8_/ and na
 useless procedure, m_/ While laser surgery to reduce lOP is a
 fairly recent innovation, adverse effect reports are already
 beqinning to appear° According to Dro Merritt there are _four or
 five m documented cases of patients having been blinded as a
 ....... result of complications associated with laser surgery. 486/
 While the evolving technique of laser surgery may
 afford some patients a measure of relief which cannot be obtained
 through other modes of therapy, it is clear that this surgical
 procedure is not always effective_ particularly for certain
 subgroups of glaucoma patients [supra_ and the short and long
 _term risks are but dimly understood° Obviously_ there are sharp
 differences of opinion on the utility of laser surgery° The
 482/ Cross-Ex_mination of Keith Greens Ph.D., Tr. 9-168.
 _9__/ Cross-examination of Dr_ John Merritt_ Tr. 10-110.
 _9__/ /_. at 10-109-!10-111.
 48_/ ___. at 10-109.
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