In response to complaints of double vision, blurry vision and other complications following popular laser surgery to improve eyesight, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking for ways to better educate patients about the possible risks and to assess the scope of the problems, an official said Thursday.

"Our sense is that most of the patients who are having the procedures are reasonably satisfied and are doing fairly well," Daniel G. Schultz, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, told reporters during a telephone briefing. "But clearly there is a group that is not satisfied and do not get the kind of results that they expect. What we're really trying to do is figure out what that number is."

The FDA is convening a panel of outside advisers for a day-long meeting Friday to hear from patients who have experienced problems and to make recommendations about whether those considering the procedures should receive better information about the risks.

"We want to provide people with accurate, timely information to help people make decisions," said Schultz. About 700,000 Americans each year undergo the procedure, known as Lasik (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis). About 7.6 million Americans have received Lasik, which costs about $2,500 per eye.