LASIK - Twenty-Five Years of a Life Changing Procedure

OREM, Utah, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Few medical procedures have received the level of notoriety and worldwide acceptance as LASIK. Now 25 years after treating the first patient in the US to correct their vision, over 28 million LASIK treatments have been performed worldwide.

LASIK is a two-step procedure to improve natural vision and reduce dependence on glasses and contacts. The outside layer of the eye, the cornea, is reshaped to focus light rays on the retina to send images to the brain.

The first step involves a femtosecond laser to create a flap in the cornea, and the second step uses an excimer laser to sculpt the cornea to its desired shape. The flap is replaced over the treated area to aid in healing and comfort. In less than a few minutes, patients are taken from a lifelong handicap of poor unaided vision, to improved ability to see with reduced dependence on glasses and contacts. For many this may be the first time in their lives they have seen the world around them clearly.

What advancements have been made throughout the 25 years of LASIK? Local eye surgeon, Jamie M Monroe, MD tells us, "as with most things, experience and technology have brought about advancements to improve results over time. When the FDA approved the treatment of nearsightedness 25 years ago, an average correction took the laser about two to three minutes to reshape the cornea.  Over the years, changes have been made to improve accuracy and reduce the time and energy used for the treatment. In addition to nearsightedness, LASIK also is approved to treat farsightedness and astigmatism."

Custom wavefront guided treatments, using technology derived from the Hubble telescope in space, enabled surgeons to treat optical errors on the surface of the eye, and internal aberrations that were previously uncorrectable. This custom treatment along with wavefront optimized and recently, topography-guided LASIK have fine-tuned results to help patients achieve even better results.

LASIK is one of the most closely studied and commonly performed procedures in the world. As with all surgery, there are risks associated with the treatment. To minimize complications, a thorough exam should be performed preoperatively. Individuals who are not good candidates for LASIK include: women who are nursing or may be pregnant, keratoconus patients or patients who have auto-immune disease. Other contraindications for LASIK include thin corneas, unstable correction and severe dry eye.

According to the Refractive Surgery Alliance, (RSA) clinical studies show that refractive surgery generally provides better vision than glasses or contact lenses, is safer than contact lens wear and is less expensive over time. The LASIK Quality of Life Collaboration Project, performed by the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the Department of Defense (DOD), studied results from LASIK. In the Patient Reported Outcomes With LASIK (Prowl-2) study, the US FDA reports, 96% of patients achieved 20/20 or better uncorrected vision following LASIK at three months post-op. Greater than 96% of patients who had LASIK were satisfied with their vision at three months as compared to only 45% pre-operatively.

"Why live with the handicap of glasses and contact lenses?" asks Dr. Monroe. "LASIK has never been safer, offering visual freedom to people with nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism."

About Dr. Jamie Monroe
Cataract and LASIK Center of Utah

For more than 35 years, the Cataract & LASIK Center of Utah has set the standard for improving the vision, and the lives, of thousands of patients in Orem and surrounding communities. The Cataract & LASIK Center of Utah team is dedicated to bringing life into focus. Every procedure we provide gives our patients the opportunity to choose visual freedom—reduced dependence on glasses and contact lenses. Our decades of experience and state-of-the-art technology allow us to customize each patient's vision, based on their age and unique lifestyle.

Contact: Lisa Jensen
801-224-6767

SOURCE Cataract & LASIK Center of Utah