Date: Fri 23-Apr-1999

Publication: Hea

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Lasik-eye-surgery-laser

Full Text:

HEALTH MONITOR: Lasers Are Making Corneal Refractive Surgery Painless And

Safer

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Newtown High School library director Karen Mann wore glasses or contact lenses

for much of her adult life. She has thrown them all away thanks to a laser

vision corrective procedure.

By using state-of-the-art laser equipment, doctors are now able to reshape the

cornea of the eye, creating improved vision almost immediately. The procedure

takes about 10 minutes and is completely pain free.

"I went from 20/400 to 20/25 vision in my left eye and 20/100 to around 20/30

vision in my right eye," Mrs Mann said.

A few years ago, such a drastic improvement in vision would have been

unimaginable. Laser vision correction, also known as photorefractive

keratectomy (PRK), was taken to a new level four years ago with the arrival of

the excimer laser. This revolutionary laser uses a sophisticated computer

program to determine exactly the right degree of correction.

For those who are nearsighted, the procedure gently re-sculpts the curvature

of the cornea, improving the focus directly onto the retina. The procedure

calls for the surgeon to make a small incision in the top layer of the cornea.

This thin layer is folded back, allowing the laser to reshape the inner layer

of cornea (stroma). Once that is complete, the surgeon closes the flap which

adheres naturally and securely.

Those with farsightedness and astigmatism are also eligible for treatment.

Known as the LASIK procedure, this method is preferred over other laser

procedures which do not require an incision. Those methods can cause

discomfort for the patients during the recovery period. Since the surface of

the cornea (epithelium) is preserved, most LASIK patients see well almost

immediately. "There's nothing to heal," explained Richard S. Casden, an

opthomalogist affiliated with the Laser Center of White Plains, NY.

According to Dr Casden, the actual procedure takes about 10 minutes. There are

no needles, just anesthetic drops which are administered to the eye just

before the surgery begins. Some patients experience mild discomfort in the

hours after the surgery, but most are able to resume normal activities within

a few days.

Casey Cuneo, a patient consultant for the Laser Center, had the procedure done

in January. She admits she would have never known about the procedure if she

had not been employed by the company.

"I never could fathom that patients could actually be 20/20 the day after the

procedure until I had it done," she said. "It's clearer than wearing glasses."

Cost

The cost for the LASIK procedure ranges from $4,000 to $5,500 for both eyes,

which includes six post-operative examinations. The procedure comes with a

lifetime guarantee. Unfortunately, most insurance companies do not cover the

cost of the procedure since it falls under the category of cosmetic surgery.

However, some medical groups do provide a financing plan.

At TLC, free consultations and seminars are offered to familiarize people with

laser vision correction.

According to TLC, 95 percent of those who had the laser surgery say they would

recommend it to a friend. And in recent studies, 100 percent of those who

underwent laser vision correction experienced improved natural vision, with 98

percent no longer needing glasses or contacts. More than 80 percent achieved

20/20 vision.

Refractive surgery - the reshaping of the cornea - is a concept that has been

around since the late 1940s. Surgeons used to make radial cuts during the

reshaping procedure. However, the excimer laser changed everything. Approved

by the FDA in 1995, the laser made it possible to do the reshaping with the

use of a light beam.

"With the laser, the surgeon was is able to flatten the curvature of the

cornea more safely, with more control, and with more precise instruments," Dr

Casden said.