History of Vision Correction Surgery

We Believe That A Well-Informed Patient Is Key To Successful Vision Correction Surgery.

A GUIDE TO LASER VISION CORRECTION

Dr. Robert Maloney believes that a well-informed patient is key to successful vision correction surgery. He wants to be sure that you fully understand what you can expect from your procedure you choose. He wants to help you care for and preserve your eyesight in the best way possible. Here, you can find the information that you need to help you make informed choices about health care for your eyes.

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LASER VISION CORRECTION: AN OVERVIEW

HISTORY OF VISION CORRECTION SURGERY

Although many pioneering contributions led to the development of modern refractive surgery-that is, any surgical procedure to help the eye focus light correctly-a key breakthrough occurred in the middle of the last century. In 1949, Dr. Jose Barraquer of Bogot·, Colombia, developed the idea of lamellar corneal surgery ("Lamellar" means "layered"). He discovered that Lamellar surgery could reshape the cornea, enhancing the eye's ability to focus. To do so, Barraquer removed a disc of the front portion of the cornea with an instrument called a microkeratome. The instrument was affixed to the eye through use of a vacuum ring; then the microkeratome shaved a small amount of the cornea at a predetermined depth. Dr. Barraquer froze the disc and then ground it into a new shape with a small lathe. He placed the newly shaped disc back on the cornea. The pro cedure of carving the cornea was called Keratomileusis.

Two important refinements followed. In 1985, Dr. Casimir Swinger developed a method of reshaping the disc without freezing it (nonfreeze Keratomileusis). Then, in 1987, Dr. Luis Ruiz, a protege of Barraquer, used an automated microkeratome to reshape the cornea directly on the eye. This procedure, Automated Lamellar keratoplasty (ALK), was used to correct high levels of myopia and hyperopia. It is important to note that patients who have undergone these two procedures, precursors to today's laser vision correction, have not experienced long-term complications from the corneal reshaping.

The Arrival Of The Excimer Laser