Lasik The Revolution In Eye Surgery

The eye-surgery industry is on the cusp of what could be the next big wave of vision-correction technologies to greet consumers since LASIK re-invented the eye-care business in 1995.

Many of these innovations target presbyopia, the aging of the eye's crystalline lens that makes reading difficult. Some improve upon previous technologies that repair cataract-clouded eyes. And others make incisions more precise or eliminate having to cut into eye tissue altogether.

"Eye patients now can be treated from cradle to grave," according to Shareef Mahdavi, president of SM2 Consulting, a Pleasanton-based company that advises ophthalmic and medical companies, including eight O.C. firms. LASIK caters to people in their 20s to their early 40s, he explained. Cataract treatments address the eyes of older people. Emerging treatments for presbyopia are designed for people in their mid-40s to 60s, filling the age gap.

And the potential market looks promising. About 76 million baby boomers are in, or near, their presbyopic years.

And because the treatment is still relatively new it is not yet possible to track the very long-term health implications of Lasik.

The cutting of the flap requires skill, and in 1 per cent to 4 per cent of cases this can cause problems. The flap itself can take up to a year to heal leaving it vulnerable to infection. It can also be damaged or even lost or stray particles can get trapped under it. In some cases the flap fails to self-lubricate which causes painful dry eyes. The cut can be too deep which causes bleeding and pain. There is even a small risk of penetration of the eye by the surgical blade, which could potentially cause blindness. There is also a risk of diminished night vision because some patients have experienced 'starbursts' and halos in front of their eyes. In rare cases complications can lead to corneal ectasia, where fluid pressure builds up on the eye causing abnormal bulging.

Meanwhile, new technology is developing all the time such as Intralase which uses a guided laser to create the flap in the epithelium rather than a mechanical blade.