NEW TECHNOLOGY - "WAVEFRONT"

Wall Street Journal
12.13.02

Below are a few excerpts edited from a Wall Street Journal article on December 12, 2002.

"On the Horizon: 'Super-Vision'"

"“Eye doctors are getting set to market a new technology to the millions of near and farsighted people who have thought about laser surgery but been scared off by stories of damaged eyes and procedures gone wrong…”

“More than three million Americans have undergone laser vision correction, which uses a laser to reshape the cornea, since the procedure first became available in the U.S. in 1995. Lasik, short for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, is the most popular version of the surgery because it takes 10 minutes for each eye, and basic recovery time is about 24 hours. It costs about $1600 per eye…”

“The new wavefront technique, which is similar to a process used to fix problems with the Hubble Space Telescope, takes detailed measurements of how the eye processes light and then customizes the laser treatment to each eye, reducing the likelihood of side effects.”

“Once we get patients past that hurdle of thinking that Lasik has major complications, we think that volume will grow,” says Robert Grant, president of the medical division of laser maker Lumenis Ltd. In Santa Clara, Calif.”

“Bausch & Lomb Inc. expects to win approval early next year for a wavefront system…”

“Wavefront-guided Lasik, often called ‘custom Lasik,’ will likely cost more. Alcon Inc., the first laser company to win FDA approval, says it will increase the per-eye fee it charges doctors from $100 to $250, and clinics are likely to tack on additional fees, though intense competition between doctors has generally kept prices low. Lasik surgery isn’t normally covered by insurance, though there can be exceptions, such as cases where the procedure is medically necessary, including correcting problems from an earlier Lasik surgery.

Some consumer advocates are wary of the hype accompanying the new wavefront systems, saying there is no independent source of information on possible complications or long-term effects. Patients interested in the procedure should seek treatment from a well-established clinic. Before choosing a doctor, people may want to call their local Better Business Bureau or state board of medical examiners to find out if any complaints have been lodged against a particular doctor or clinic.”

"The ophthalmologists who have the most experience using wavefront-guided Lasik are in Canada and Europe, where the technique has been in use for a little more than a year. At the Lasik M.D. clinic in Ontario clinic medical director Mark Cohen says he recommends wavefront for about one-third of his patients, primarily those who are extremely nearsighted and are most likely to have complications with standard Lasik."

Who benefits from LASIK?
Most near- and far-sighted people, but not those who use reading glasses. People with large pupils, dry eyes or with very poor vision are not good canidates.

What's wavefront LASIK?
A new way to make detailed maps of the eye before surgery. Doctors call it a breakthrough that will improve quality of vision, but the technique is still very new.

Where can I get Wavefront?
For a US referral for customized Ablations please call: 1-800-573-1010