Refractive Surgery Blog

On September 21, 2007 wave-front Guided Intralasik received further validation when the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) approved all-laser lasik technologies for use on U.S. astronauts. This approval follows the U. S. Navy's recent decision that approved the same procedure (see blog entry August 10, 2007). While this advanced refractive technology has been performed in the United States for about two years, it has taken NASA that long to review extensive military Clinical data and determine that this technology provides superior safety and vision.

The excimer laser was approved by the FDA in October 1995 for use in refractive eye surgery. Since that time, over eleven million lasik procedures have been performed making it the most common (and successful) elective procedure performed in the United States. However, it was not until the development of an all laser technique that both the U.S. Navy and now NASA approved it for their pilots. It was approved because the visual results and post-operative stability of the cornea following lasik were able to withstand even the most extreme rigors of warfare and flight.

I have been performing exactly the procedure described with exactly the same equipment as Navy and NASA ophthalmologists. In the past year, there is no doubt that the visual results and stability of vision are superior to the first rendition of this surgery. In addition, complications related to the procedure have become rare. While the wave-front guided lasik using an all-laser platform is more expensive, I have not had a single patient who has felt it was not worth the price.

Stuart Lewis, MD

Labels: Wave-Front Guided Intralasik