LSAT 108 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q17

LR Question 17 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Radial keratotomy (RK), a surgery that is designed to …

QUESTION TYPE: Paradox – EXCEPT

PARADOX: RK is supposed to eliminate needing glasses or contacts. But some people who undergo RK still need glasses or contacts.

ANALYSIS: This is an EXCEPT question, so we’re looking for the answer that doesn’t help explain why some patients still need corrective lenses.

To solve the paradox, an answer should give us a reason why someone might still need glasses or contacts after surgery. Maybe RK didn’t work completely, it caused a different vision problem, etc. Those four answers are wrong.

___________

1. RK might overcorrect, making someone farsighted. So now they need glasses again for a different problem.
2. If severe nearsightedness is harder to correct, some patients may still be nearsighted after surgery and need corrective lenses.
3. If the two eyes heal differently and have different visual acuity, corrective lenses may still be necessary.
4. Uneven healing can cause astigmatism, which requires corrective lenses. Again, the surgery may have fixed the original problem but created a new one.
5. CORRECT. This tells us something about who chooses the surgery. It tells us nothing about why some people still need corrective lenses afterwards.