A main purpose of the Hawai‘i Journal of Medicine & Public Health is education applicable to the medical and public health communities of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Islands. Such education needs to be clearly separated from the “marketing” which often accompanies any new procedure, technique, or conclusion. Dr. Chen's even handed article has begun that task.
In a time of decreasing medical resources, there needs to be clear and unequivocal demonstration of net benefit to the patient and society rather than simple “non-inferiority.” Multiple articles in the juried literature support this new laser technology yet some (cf. Femtosecond Laser for Cataract Surgery causes debate. New Zealand Optics, July 2012) raise issues of safety and cost.
We look forward to continued evaluation of the technique by the author with particular attention to statistically valid long term results.