Laser Vision Correction:

Excimer laser technology was developed in the 1970's to use in the manufacturing of computer chips. In 1983, Dr. Stephen Trokel demonstrated the excimer laser's ability to precisely shape corneal tissue. In 1987 human eyes were treated with "photorefractive keratectomy" (PRK) for the first time in the United States by Dr. Marguerite McDonald. Her early success led eventually to the FDA approval of PRK as "safe and effective" in 1995.

During the latter half of the 1990's the technique called "LAser assisted in-SItu Keratomileusis" (LASIK) became increasingly popular among both physicians and patients. LASIK is a modified version of PRK in which the excimer laser is used to alter the shape of the cornea by treating underneath a thin corneal flap. Nearly all laser vision correction is now done by LASIK, and over one million eyes are treated annually in the United States alone.

Angelo Laser Eye Center is pleased to have three physicians professionaly qualified to perform LASIK, PRK, AK and other refractive procedures quickly and conveniently. Patients are able to reduce or eliminate their need to wear glasses or contact lenses. These procedures can be performed on both eyes in a matter of minutes followed by rapid visual recovery. Utilizing the accuracy and precision of the excimer laser, the shape of the cornea is changed to improve the way light is focused or "refracted" by the eye. In less then 60 seconds, pulses of high energy light from the laser reshape the cornea. By adjusting the pattern of the laser pulses, it is possible to treat high levels of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Higher order aberrations can now be measured using the VISX WaveScan and treated with the advanced VISX Custom Vue technique. The procedure is performed using "eye drop" anesthesia. Healing is rapid and most patients return to their normal activities within one or two days.

What began in IBM research laboratories in the 1970s has led to commonly-performed and well-accepted ways to improve our vision and our lives in the twenty-first century. Laser vision correction has become increasingly safe and amazingly effective. Millions of eyes are improved and millions of people are blessed each year through the application of these remarkable techniques.

To learn more about these procedures go to: visx.com or www.personalbestvision/patient.com.