FDA Clinical Trail Survey Finds 90 Percent of LASIK Patients Free From Glasses 8 Years Later
FDA clinical trial involving 267 LASIK patients initially taken from June 1995 to February 1999 indicate a major reduction in side effects experienced by LASIK patients.
Jackson, MI (PRWEB) March 4, 2004 -- Many people who would love to have LASIK
surgery to avoid wearing glasses or contacts won't because they are afraid of
side effects. But now, thanks to advances in technology, these fears can be
dramatically reduced.
A major reduction in side effects experienced by
LASIK patients is a major finding in a survey conducted by members of the
faculty at Emory University Medical School.
What this latest survey
shows is that there really is no need to be overly concerned about side effects
of the LASIK procedure, says Paul H. Ernest, M.D., founder of the TLC Eyecare
& Laser Centers of Michigan.
The latest survey is part of an ongoing
physician-sponsored FDA clinical trial involving 267 LASIK patients initially
taken from June 1995 to February 1999.
"We are pleased to see such a
positive response from patients, who participated in the original LASIK trial,
now five year later," says Keith P. Thompson, M.D., Emory University Medical
School faculty member who also was co-founder of Emory Vision, now InView.
"These survey results are important as they demonstrate lasting results for the
surgery."
The InView survey asked LASIK patients to compare their vision
prior to surgery with glasses or contacts directly following surgery:
*
73 percent reported seeing the same or less glare
* 52 percent reported the
same or less halo
* 79 percent reported the same or less ghost
images
In late 2003, a follow-up survey showed:
* 63 percent
reported no glare
* Of those reporting glare, it generally occurred
immediately following surgery and diminished over time
* 62 percent showed no
halos
* Those with halos reported mild to moderate halos directly after
surgery
* 89 percent experienced no ghost images
* 90 percent reported
being free from full-time use of glasses or contacts
* 91 percent said LASIK
improved their quality of life and they would recommend the procedure to
others.
"In the past, there were significant concerns about side effects
such as night vision problems, halos and glare," says Dr. Ernest. "However, due
to wavefront-guided technology at TLC Eyecare and Laser Centers, the potential
of experiencing these side effects have been significantly
reduced."
Wavefront technology was introduced in Michigan by TLC and is
called True Custom LASIK. The wavefront analyzer maps both lower and
higher-order aberrations of the eye by projecting waves of light into a
patient's eyes and mapping the waves that bounce back.
The resulting
precise measurements produce a custom map of the eye, much like a human's unique
fingerprints. A 3D map of the exact corneal reshaping needed is then transmitted
to the laser surgery equipment.
For more information or to schedule an
appointment call 800-551-7347 or visit the TLC web site at www.tlcmi.com. TLC Eyecare &
Laser Centers have offices in Lansing, Jackson, Battle Creek, Chelsea, Ann
Arbor, Farmington Hills, and Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/3/prweb108722.htm