ORange Wavefront Aberrometer Proves Successful in Determining Refraction in Cataract Patients Who Previously Had LASIK Surgery

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaveTec Vision, the leader in wavefront-guided custom cataract™ surgery, announced today that its ORange® intraoperative wavefront aberrometer has been shown to be more predictable in determining refraction in the post-refractive eye, than any other post-LASIK formula currently available.

“Following LASIK, patients expect a lifetime of quality uncorrected vision. Unfortunately, these same patients are the most difficult to predict the optimal IOL power when they develop cataracts”

Wavefront custom cataract aberrometry with ORange is a breakthrough in modern cataract surgery. The technology has been clinically proven to increase accuracy and improve refractive outcomes: 73 percent of procedures are within 0.5D of intended target, versus 58 percent with traditional cataract surgery using standard method biometry.

A patented diagnostic breakthrough, ORange allows cataract surgeons – for the first time – to measure refraction during surgery, so they can precisely predict and customize how their patients will see following the procedure.

source: Business Wire

Technolas Perfect Vision Receives FDA Approval of Latest Technology for Custom LASIK

MUNICH, GERMANY--(Marketwire - March 14, 2011) - Technolas Perfect Vision GmbH (TPV), a cataract and refractive laser company at the forefront of providing advanced eye laser treatments, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the ZYOPTIX® Advanced Nomogram. The Advanced Nomogram is the latest, state-of-the-art methodology for use in custom LASIK eye surgery procedures when treating nearsightedness and astigmatism. This confirms that "there is convincing evidence that LASIK myopia corrections are more accurate with the Advanced Nomogram than without it."

Using the Advanced Nomogram when performing custom LASIK with the TECHNOLAS 217z100 laser, significantly improves the predictability of the results, as well as reducing the possibility of requiring a second enhancement procedure. Technolas Perfect Vision is the ONLY company in the US able to offer this latest, approved technology for LASIK on their laser platform.

The Advanced Nomogram was developed in collaboration with the Center for Visual Science, at the University of Rochester Flaum Eye Institute.

source: Technolas Perfect Vision

BIOLASE Issued New Patent Supporting Use of Laser Technologies for Treating Eye Conditions

BIOLASE Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLTI), the World's leading dental laser manufacturer and distributor, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued BIOLASE a new patent covering the use of its laser technologies for treating various conditions of the eye, including presbyopia. The patent is related to applying dyes and colored lighting to make structures in the eye more visible for various eye procedures performed with the Company's patented laser technologies. In addition, certain colorings allow for greater absorption of energy making it easier to cut at lower energy settings.

The patent is number 7,891,363 and is titled "Methods for Treating Eye Conditions." It supports previously issued patents and covers methods for treating eye disorders, such as presbyopia, the age-related loss of near vision that comes to everyone in mid-life. Presbyopia generally signifies a universal decrease in the amplitude of accommodation in the eye and currently affects over 100 million people in the U.S. and more than 2 billion people worldwide.

source: Biolase

Dishler Laser Institute is Certified as a Zeiss LASIK Center of Excellence

Carl Zeiss Meditec, one of the world's premier medical technology companies, has bestowed the honor of certifying Denver LASIK surgeon Jon G. Dishler MD as a member of the Scientific Board for Laser Vision Correction.

Dr. Jon Dishler http://www.dishler.com has been assigned to be a scientific board member due to his:

* Scientific expertise
* Clinical excellence
* Long and comprehensive clinical practice
* Innovative contributions

A specialist in refractive surgery, Dr. Dishler has personally performed over 51,000 LASIK and vision correction procedures during the last 15 years. He has participated in the original development of the Excimer laser within the framework of the FDA approval studies. In fact, he was the first laser vision surgeon and only ophthalmologist in Colorado to develop an FDA approved Excimer laser.

source: PR Web

Dr. John Suson Advises On What to Avoid in Discount Lasik Surgery Centers: A Consumer’s Guide

(EMAILWIRE.COM, February 07, 2011 ) Milwaukee, WI - Dr. John Suson, of Suson Eye Specialists, said "If you have begun your research into Lasik eye surgery, you may have already noticed that the price can vary widely from the Premium Eye Surgery Clinics to the Low Cost Discount Chains and Centers.

Why are there such significant price differences?


Many of the “discounters” are able to advertise a low fee for their services by using an ala Carte pricing structure. The Lasik surgery itself may be $699.00/eye, but this fee will not include all prescriptions, from mild to severe, nor the necessary preoperative exams and the postoperative follow-up visits that are necessary. And often the latest technologies available, such as bladeless “All Laser LASIK”, are not an option with this pricing structure.

By contrast, a typical Premium Surgery Clinic price structure might include the following:

• Comprehensive pre-op examination determines if one is a good candidate for LASIK and also determines overall health of the patient’s eyes

• Surgeon’s fee

• All follow up visits

• Laser Center/Technology fee

• Cost of any enhancements (re-treatmenjavascript:void(0)ts) for a specified period.

The “discounters” thrive on a lower technology, high volume business. They generally rely on a less demanding group of patients where the biggest perceived difference by some consumers is price. In other words, the focus at many of these centers is on price and profitability, not on the patient, technology, and potential complications.

source and complete article:Email Wire

Precision Eye Care Announces True "Computer Guided Laser Cataract Surgery"

HUNTINGTON, NY, February 03, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Richard G. Davis, MD, one of the original founding partners of Island Eye Surgicenter and the founder of Precision Eye Care, announces that a decision has been reached to acquire one of the first OCT guided Femtosecond lasers designed for cataract surgery in the country.

"This new procedure will improve the safety and reproducibility of cataract surgery, making an already successful procedure less risky and more reliable," says Dr. Davis. "This will be the next big breakthrough in eye surgery and I am very excited about the future. The laser will be guided by a computer which is able to image the eye in real time and do some of the most complex parts of the surgery. I think this will improve an already low complication rate by about 75%!"

Island Eye Surgicenter anticipates having the laser installed and running by late February / early March. Island Eye is unique in that it focuses on the surgical care and treatment of eye disorders and specializes in the most advanced laser cataract surgery on Long Island.

source: 24-7 Press Release

Maryland Eye Surgeon Ordered to Pay $1.07 Million to Former Patient

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ordered a Maryland eye surgeon to pay $1.07 million to a former patient who claimed his vision was damaged by laser eye surgery a decade earlier.

The lawsuit against against Dr. Mark Whitten was filed by former patient David Cantalupo of Pennsylvania after a swift eye laser surgery procedure left him unable to see out of his left eye. According to an attorney representing Mr. Cantalupo the procedure caused the vision in his left eye to be “very blurry, fuzzy” and stated that his client “sees double images.”

The lawsuit accuses Dr. Whitten of failing to warn his patient of the dangers associated with laser eye surgery and failure to collect “informed consent” before performing the procedure.

Dr. Whitten is reportedly Tiger Woods LASIK eye surgeon.

Monovision LASIK

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, January 08, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Typical of medical progress, new procedures are usually inspired by what is learned from older procedures. Monovision LASIK developed out of a need to improve upon an earlier procedure called conductive keratoplasty, or CK. It's not that CK did not work-it is, in fact, a very successful treatment for presbyopia. But it is not a permanent solution. Over time, as little as two years, CK gradually reverses itself, returning your vision to its original state. Consequently, CK patients face the expense and inconvenience of repeating surgery or finding another solution to gain clear vision within a few years of having CK surgery. Monovision LASIK is one of those solutions.

How Monovision LASIK Corrects Presbyopia

Presbyopia begins to affect just about everyone sometime before age 50. As we age our natural crystalline lenses begin to stiffen and become less flexible. Consequently, the lens' ability change focus quickly is slowed, and the range of focus decreases, particularly affecting near vision. This is when most people begin using reading glasses even if they still see distances well.

Monovision is a technique of creating near vision in the non-dominant eye, which allows reading without glasses. The dominant eye, with good distance vision, is left alone.

Monovision LASIK involves sculpting the cornea of the non-dominant eye to achieve modest nearsightedness.

source: 24-7 Pressrelease

STAAR Surgical's Visian® ICL Surpasses 200,000 Implants

MONROVIA, Calif., Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- STAAR Surgical Company (Nasdaq: STAA), a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of minimally invasive ophthalmic products, today announced that the worldwide total number of Visian® ICL implants in patients has exceeded 200,000. Since 1994, STAAR's Implantable Collamer® Lenses (ICLs) have been used in refractive eye surgery as an alternative to LASIK. Manufactured with STAAR's proprietary Collamer material, Visian ICLs provide a safe and effective alternative in the permanent correction of myopia, hyperopia, and in the case of the Toric ICL, astigmatism.

"This milestone demonstrates that STAAR's ICL technology continues to transform the refractive market with increased share in the global surgical market," said Barry G. Caldwell, president and CEO of STAAR Surgical. "During the last half of 2010 we began shipping the new expanded version of the Vision ICL in countries that accept CE Mark Certification. During 2010 Visian ICL sales increased by 15%, while the LASIK segment continues to be challenged. We are most proud of the high level of patient satisfaction delivered by STAAR's technology for placing correction in the posterior segment, which avoids problems experienced with anterior segment phakic lenses. Of the over 200,000 ICLs implanted over the past 17 years, over 14,000 of those have been in eyes for over 10 years.

source: PR Newswire

Excel Eye Center in Provo, Utah, Purchases the VISX Star S4 IR Excimer Laser for LASIK Vision Correction

Excel Eye Center in Provo, Utah, is now able to provide a more convenient, comfortable and precise LASIK experience for patients with the purchase of the VISX S4 Excimer Laser.

“We decided to purchase the laser rather than use a mobile unit for several reasons, the greatest being the ability to have the laser remain stationary and permanently located in a room with stable temperature and humidity. This lets us meet our strict operating standards for laser calibration and usage,” said W Scott Lohner MD, LASIK surgeon at Excel.

The VISX S4 IR laser is FDA approved and has been used in over 5 million procedures providing the best in safety, accuracy and comfort. The technology is so advanced, it is even used by NASA for their astronaut corp. The laser produces some of the smoothest corneal surface and decreased night glare with a shorter procedure time to increase patient comfort.

“I am so very grateful to have 20/20 vision and to be lens free. No more contacts, solutions, cleansing, irritations or pain. No more groping in the dark for glasses. I was able to go scuba diving in the Caribbean and see everything perfectly...without corrective lenses! Only those who have eyesight restored to its perfect state can truly understand how thrilling it is to SEE,” said Sandi, a LASIK patient at Excel Eye Center.

source: PRWeb

Laser flap complications during LASIK surgery are infrequent and treatable, study finds

Intraoperative LASIK eye surgery complications related to the creation of the corneal flap with a femtosecond laser are infrequent and usually can be corrected during the same surgical session, according to a study published in Journal of Refractive Surgery.

Researchers at the University of Utah (Salt Lake City) and the University of Iowa (Iowa City) conducted a prospective study of 3,009 consecutive all-laser LASIK surgeries performed from August 2002 through July 2009. In all cases, the LASIK flap was created with an IntraLase femtosecond laser (Abbott Medical Optics).

Analysis of the study data revealed only 11 intraoperative complications occurred (0.37 percent).

Of these, there were eight cases of a break in the suction between the head of the laser and the cornea. Seven of these were treated with reapplication of the laser; one case was treated with surgical dissection of the side-cut of the flap edge.

One case of incomplete flap creation was treated with surgical dissection and two adherent flaps were treated with reapplication of laser energy and surgical dissection.

All eleven LASIK surgeries with intraoperative laser flap complications were successfully completed during the same operative session.

source: Refractive Surgery News

OptiMedica’s Catalys™ Precision Laser System Study Published in Science Translational Medicine Shows Marked Advancement in Cataract Surgery

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global ophthalmic device company OptiMedica Corp. has announced that results from a clinical study of its Catalys Precision Laser System were published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine (“Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery with Integrated Optical Coherence Tomography,” Volume 2, Issue 58, November 17, 2010). The data showed that, when compared to manual techniques, the Catalys Precision Laser System helped surgeons achieve significant improvement in precision during several critical steps of cataract surgery.

“These study results clearly indicate that a femtosecond laser with integrated Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging, advanced optics and control software can provide multiple benefits for cataract surgery,” said the study’s lead author Daniel Palanker, associate professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University. “We believe the new laser-assisted technique represents a significant scientific and clinical advancement that will make cataract surgery much more precise and reproducible, and we are gratified that Science Translational Medicine has recognized its importance and potential.”

As reported in the published study, approximately one third of Americans will undergo cataract surgery in their lifetime. While advancements in surgical technique have occurred over the last several decades, several critical steps remain manual in nature and can only be performed with limited precision.

source: Business Wire

IRIDEX Granted U.S. Patent for MicroPulse(TM) Technology - A Fine Dose Control Technology Enabling Tissue Sparing Eye Surgeries With Visible Lasers

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug 18, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- IRIDEX Corporation (Nasdaq: IRIX) today announced the receipt of issuance of U.S. Patent No. 7,771,417, titled "Laser System with Short Pulse Characteristics And Its Method Of Use." This patent applies to the company's MicroPulse(TM) technology which provides the ophthalmologist with fine dose control of laser energy during eye surgery. Ophthalmologists are using MicroPulse technology to treat patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy and other sight-threatening retinal and glaucoma disorders. Treatments using MicroPulse technology demonstrate favorable outcomes and significantly less damage to healthy retinal structures compared to traditional continuous wave laser treatment.

"MicroPulse technology enables Tissue Sparing Photocoagulation, a controlled laser dosing approach which induces the long-term benefits of laser procedures with no detectable tissue damaging side effects," commented Theodore A. Boutacoff, President and CEO. "The company has developed this technology over a number of years using infrared laser systems and its clinical efficacy has been reported in over 45 peer reviewed publications. Extending our MicroPulse technology from our infrared laser systems to our visible laser systems and being granted a patent to protect this proprietary technology for visible laser systems is important because the majority of lasers sold today are visible wavelength laser systems."

source: Iridex

IRIDEX Granted U.S. Patent for Adjustable Laser Probe for Eye Surgery

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IRIDEX Corporation (Nasdaq: IRIX) today announced the receipt of an Issue Notification from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for U.S. Patent No. 7,766,904, "Adjustable Laser Probe For Use In Vitreoretinal Surgery." This patent applies to a number of consumable medical devices already in the IRIDEX product line, collectively identified and sold as Adjustable and Intuitive EndoProbe® laser handpieces.

The Adjustable Laser Probe speeds up treatments by allowing continuous adjustment of the optical fiber over a wide range of angles for full coverage of the peripheral retina without requiring removal and reinsertion of the probe from the eye.

"We continue to focus on ways to increase the value of our consumable instrumentation line by offering novel and creative product solutions to our ophthalmic customers which in turn will help us grow our business," stated Theodore A. Boutacoff, President and CEO, "and to reconfirm our corporate position as a leader in our market."

"The issuance of this patent is valuable to IRIDEX because it helps us maintain the differentiation of our vitreoretinal product line from those of our competitors, and we plan to capitalize on the leverage afforded by this new patent by expanding this product line in the near future."

source: PR Newswire

iFS LASIK Corrects Vision with No Blades and Removes Risks Associated with Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are a great way to get rid of your glasses, but they come with some complications - especially if they're not properly cared for. Recurring eye infections can lead to corneal scarring and even blindness if not treated. For those who are candidates for LASIK, new advances have made it safer than ever.

As featured recently on The Doctors, the Advanced IntraLase Femtosecond Laser (iFS) is a way to correct your eyesight without a single cut with a blade. Bladeless LASIK removes the primary risk factor of LASIK which was cutting the eye with a blade. New highly accurate lasers are available to create the flap for LASIK correction that are even an added improvement over first models.

Dr. Chis Cabler of the laser vision center in Houston, TX says, "The iFS Advanced Femtosecond Laser is the latest iteration of the IntraLase Femtosecond Laser. The major difference is that the newer version is purported to provide a more stable LASIK flap due to an inverted bevel side cut. Theoretically, this should keep the flap in place and avoid “striae” or wrinkling." Dr. Cabler uses the original iFS laser and says, "both lasers are more accurate and safer than the mechanical microkeratomes we used to use."

source: American Health & Beauty

State-Of-The-Art Multifocal LASIK Available and Affordable Only In Mexico Vision Clinics

December 30, 2009 (FPRC) -- CHULA VISTA, CA Leading U.S. based medical experts, Angeles Health International is pioneering the field of eye surgery with its brand new LASIK Mexico alternative. The brand new procedure is designed to permanently correct multifocal vision impairments.

Angeles Health International (AHI) is a U.S. based organization that organizes medical travel Mexico on behalf of the largest private hospital network in Mexico. The Angeles hospitals can be found at various locations across Mexico, including Juarez, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Puebla, and Lomas and Pedregal in Mexico City. Each state-of-the-art hospital provides top quality medical care to patients. Angeles prides itself on its patient-centric mandate and as a result provides attentive and personalized care. Additionally all patients are treated by highly skilled and trained staff.

The PRESBYLASIK procedure uses the latest FDA technology VISX STAR S4 for multifocal, custom wave front correction of presbyopia. In laymans terms existing LASIK procedures for presbyopia is monofocal and adjusts one eye for distance and the other for vision. The new PRESBYLASIK multifocal LASIK procedure however revolutionizes this field by zoning the lens of both eyes for seeing near and far distances, thus giving patients the ability to use both their eyes as normal.

source: Free Press Release Center

TLCVision to Restructure Debt in Pre-Arranged Chapter 11 Filing

ST. LOUIS, MO--(Marketwire - December 21, 2009) - TLC Vision Corporation (NASDAQ: TLCV) (TSX: TLC), North America's premier eye care services company, said today that it has reached an agreement with holders of a majority of the Company's senior secured debt to restructure its balance sheet.

To expedite its financial restructuring, which includes a pre-arranged plan of reorganization, the Company and two of its wholly owned subsidiaries, TLC Vision (USA) Corporation and TLC Management Services Inc., have filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. In addition, the Company is seeking a recognition of its Chapter 11 filing in a case that it is commencing in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice under the Canadian Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act. No other company operations, affiliates or subsidiaries -- including its TLC Laser Eye Centers -- are involved in the filing.

TLCVision said clinical care for patients continues without change or interruption. TLCVision will continue to honor the TLC Lifetime Commitment. The Company also said the filing will not affect its on-going commitments to current employees.



source: MarketWire

Laser Eye Surgery Turns 21

December 02, 2009 - Press Dispensary - Laser Eye Surgery comes of age at the end of 2009 as the procedure reaches its 21st birthday. It’s not only an iconic age but represents 21 years of freedom without complications.

The world’s first laser eye surgery operation was performed in Germany in 1988, inspired by an eye injury in which a damaged cornea gave an unexpected vision improvement to the short-sighted owner.

In the 21 years since, it has become the most commonly performed private procedure in the UK, with half a million people believed to have undergone the treatment to date. Around 300,000 have chosen Optimax, the UK’s only specialist laser eye surgery clinic chain, which has 23 clinics nationwide.

Across the world, some 30 million people have had laser eye surgery. For many it has meant an end to the inconvenience of glasses and lenses, and has enabled people embark on careers and pursuits which would otherwise be impossible. Its acceptance is now more or less universal, approved by the police, armed forces and even NASA, which discovered that using lenses and solutions was difficult in zero gravity conditions. No long term complications have arisen.

source: Optimax

Laser eye surgery doesn't damage corneas, study suggests

While many people have undergone various vision-correction procedures in which laser light is used to reshape the cornea, there has been some people in and out of the medical profession who have worried the operations were causing damage that would eventually become apparent.

Seeking to determine if these concerns are justified, doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., set out to assess the risk to corneas posed by two popular laser vision-correction procedures, photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK, and laser in situ keratomileusis, better known as LASIK.

Two Mayo doctors, Sanjay V. Patel and William M. Bourne, studied 29 eyes of 16 patients who had undergone LASIK or PRK.

Photographs of the endothelial cells lining the corneas were taken and analyzed before and nine years after surgery.

What Patel and Bourne discovered and reported in an article published in the Archives of Ophthalmology was that after nine years the eyes that had been corrected with PRK or LASIK had experienced a 5.3 percent reduction in the density of corneal endothelial cells.

source: Tampa Bay Online

FDA To Investigate Quality Of Life Problems Following LASIK Eye Surgery

The US Food and Drug Administration has launched a collaborative study to investigate the potential impact of Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) eye surgery on patients' quality of life. The project will seek to establish the proportion of LASIK patients in the US who experience significant post-procedure quality of life problems such as blurred vision and dry eyes.

The FDA announced the launch of the LASIK Quality of Life Collaboration Project on Thursday. The agency will be collaborating with the National Eye Institute and the US Department of Defense.

source: Medical News Today