Heavy myopia may be cured with new laser eye surgery

CORRECTIVE SURGERY: Costing nearly twice as much as conventional LASIK surgery, intraLASIK may be the only option for some cases of myopia
By Angelica Oung
STAFF REPORTER

Myopic patients who wish to improve their vision but are deemed unsuitable for conventional eye surgery can now seek another surgical procedure, an eye doctor said yesterday.

Despite being nearly twice as expensive as laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery, Ting Min-feng, an ophthalmologist, said he had performed "hundreds" of procedures since importing the first equipment at a cost of NT$20 million (US$610,000).

"For some, it is the only option," Ting said.

"With conventional LASIK surgery, the corneal layer is peeled back using a blade before the laser is used to vaporize part of the corneal tissue," Ting said. "The use of femtosecond lasers accomplishes the same task with far greater accuracy."

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