CustomLASIK Produces Superior Vision Quality Says Paul M. Ernest M.D. Founder of TLC Eyecare & Laser Centers of Michigan
CustomLASIK produces superior vision quality compared to Conventional LASIK eye surgery, according to research presented at the recent American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) annual meeting.
Jackson, MI (PRWEB) May 28, 2004 -– CustomLASIK produces superior vision
quality compared to Conventional LASIK eye surgery, according to research
presented at the recent American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
(ASCRS) annual meeting.
The research was conducted by US Navy Captain
Steve Schallhorn, MD, who is the Director of Cornea and Refractive Surgery at
the Navy Medical Center in San Diego. Schallhorn said that his CustomLASIK
patients experience improved quality of vision, fewer problems with halos and
glare, better night vision, and higher patient satisfaction when compared to
Conventional LASIK patients.
“These findings are similar to what TLC
Laser Eye Centers® patients are experiencing,” said Paul H. Ernest, M.D.,
founder of the TLC Eyecare & Laser Centers of Michigan. TLC Laser Eye
Centers is the world’s largest corporate provider of CustomLASIK and performs
thousands of CustomLASIK procedures each month.
“As the FDA clinical
trials, subsequent studies, and real world results have shown, CustomLASIK can
provide clearer and sharper vision than was previously possible with glasses,
contacts or even Conventional LASIK,” Dr. Ernest said.
Schallhorn’s study
found that CustomLASIK is giving many patients the ability to see as well or
better than they could see with glasses before surgery. Schallhorn, who provides
LASIK to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, said that LASIK has enhanced combat
readiness and improves performance for active duty personnel.
CustomLASIK
is possible because of a tool called the wavefront analyzer. The wavefront
analyzer is able to measure the way light travels through your eye. The
wavefront analyzer takes this data and gives doctors a map of your individual
vision imperfections. This information is then programmed into the laser,
resulting in a completely customized procedure.
Dr. Ernest noted, “The
measurements used in CustomLASIK are 25 times more precise than the measurements
used in Conventional LASIK. Because the procedure is customized to a patient’s
individual eyes, CustomLASIK is able to provide a greater chance of achieving
20/20 vision.”
Schallhorn’s findings support that notion. Schallhorn
compared the results the Navy Medical Center obtained in patients having
Conventional LASIK vs. CustomLASIK and found:
Conventional LASIK
patients:
88% of 908 patients achieved 20/20 or better as tested six
months after the procedure.
CustomLASIK patients:
97% of 34
patients achieved 20/20 or better. In addition, 85% of CustomLASIK patients had
20/16 vision vs. 69% of Conventional LASIK patients six months following their
procedures.
Schallhorn also found that 30% of Conventional LASIK
patients reported an increase in night driving halo symptoms compared to no
patients in the CustomLASIK group. (After three months the majority of night
halo problems decreased for the Conventional LASIK group.)
While
ophthalmologists who treat patients with conventional LASIK have made great
progress in the just the past five years, True Custom LASIK expands the horizons
not only visually for patients but also for physicians who were often limited in
their ability to help people with higher-order aberrations.
Attempts to
correct these conditions included glasses, contacts or conventional LASIK – all
providing some degree of improvement but not to the degree custom LASIK now
achieves.
“These higher-order aberrations also can have a significant
impact on the quality of a person’s vision,” added Dr. Ernest, “and are often
associated with visual glare and halos that might cause night vision problems.”
By treating higher-order aberrations as well, True Custom LASIK not only
potentially improves visual acuity better than 20/20, but also the overall
quality of vision is improved through crisper vision and enhanced contrast
sensitivity.”
The laser technology used in the field of vision correction
today is producing astounding results. That however, doesn’t mean every single
person with a vision problem is a candidate. Persons with eye diseases such as
glaucoma and cataracts may be poor candidates.
Dr. Ernest noted, “It’s
great to see this data comparing Conventional and CustomLASIK. Both procedures
are excellent, however CustomLASIK’s precision and personalization may be the
best choice for many patients. At TLC Eyecare & Laser Centers of Michigan,
we sit down with you and help you decide which procedure is right for your
unique eyes. Our commitment to eye care co-management means that we are able to
work closely with each patient’s personal eye doctor to achieve maximum
results.”
About TLC Eyecare & Laser Centers of Michigan
TLC
Eyecare & Laser Centers of Michigan is one of nearly 60 TLC Laser Eye
Centers locations across North America. Each year, TLC Eyecare & Laser
Centers of Michigan provides laser vision correction to thousands of Michigan
residents.
TLC Vision Corporation, TLC Eyecare & Laser Centers of
Michigan’ parent company, is North America’s premier eye care services company.
Through its subsidiaries, the Company focuses on three large eye care markets -
refractive surgery (surface of the eye), cataract surgery (anterior of the eye)
and dry AMD therapy (posterior of the eye). TLCVision® enjoys a number of
valuable assets including an affiliated network of thousands of eye doctors,
access to some of the newest clinical technologies, proven patient education and
marketing programs, state-of-the art information systems, a strong operations
management culture and a number of well established corporate brands. The
Company’s common shares trade on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol
‘TLCV’ and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ‘TLC’. Visit TLC
Eyecare & Laser Centers of Michigan web site at www.tlcmi.com or call: (800)
551-7347.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/5/prweb129473.htm