Current Events
Here are some recent happenings in the world of vision care we thought you might be interested in.
FREE LASIK Seminar on July 21st
If you have always wanted LASIK but have been told you weren't a cantidate because you have astigmatism then we have great news! Dr. Andrew Tharp of the Vision Care Center is the first & only surgeon in the Tri-State to have the Advanced Control Eyetracking that is ideally suited to correct Astigmatism with LASIK. To learn more about LASIK and the advanced technology of the ACE tracker (Advanced Control Eyetracking), you can attend Dr. Tharp’s free monthly seminars.
The next seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, July 21st, 6pm at The Vision Care Center’s Gateway location in Newburgh. For more information and to reserve your seat call The Vision Care Center at 812.490.3937.
First Comprehensive LASIK Treatment of Astigmatism Approved by the FDA
The Vision Care Center first in the area to adopt the latest FDA approved
Technology for Laser Vision Correction
Newburgh, IN – In 1985 a haunting close up photo of an Afghan refugee girl appeared on the cover of National Geographic Magazine. Seventeen years later the magazine set out to try and locate her. The search was successful, but only after the woman was positively identified using iris recognition technology. According to National Geographic. “Iris patterns are even more individual than fingerprints. So the Geographic turned to the inventor of automatic iris recognition, John Daugman, a professor of computer science at England’s University of Cambridge. His biometric technique uses mathematical calculations, and the numbers Daugman got left no question in his mind that the haunted eyes of the young Afghan refugee and the eyes of the adult Sharbat Gula belong to the same person.” (1)
With FDA’s recent approval of the most comprehensive iris recognition eye tracking system available in the US this technology has now advanced the science of laser vision correction. Known as Advanced Control Eyetracking (ACE TM), this technology is only available on the TECHNOLAS Excimer Workstation, produced by the eye laser manufacturer, Technolas Perfect Vision, GmbH, Munich Germany. Active iris recognition tracking applied to laser vision correction allows the system to positively identify the exact orientation of the eye throughout the entire procedure. Since subtle eye movements are common during the LASIK treatment this unique tracking technology ensures that the intended treatment precisely matches the eye’s prescription. This is especially important for patients who have astigmatism in addition to their nearsightedness or farsightedness, which represent the majority of contact lens and spectacle wearers in the US.
“Perhaps the best analogy of the impact of ACE technology is to patients wearing toric contact lenses for astigmatism. One limitation of toric contact lenses is that they can move on the eye thereby creating blurry vision. That’s analogous to laser vision correction WITHOUT ACE tracking. If there were a toric contact lens that held its intended position on the eye and maintained clear vision at all times then that would be analogous to laser vision correction WITH ACE tracking”, according to N. Timothy Peters, M.D. of Portsmouth, NH, one of the first eye surgeons in the US to adopt this new technology.
Many patients with astigmatism believe that they are not suitable candidates for laser vision correction. With the advent of ACE this is no longer true. We finally have a laser vision correction procedure that is ideally suited for the treatment of astigmatism, “said Dr. Peters. Twenty five leading centers across the US have already adopted this technology since the recent FDA approval and now The Vision Care Center at Gateway is also using this new technology to successfully correct astigmatism with LASIK.
No other laser vision correction system available in the US can compensate for eye rotation during the treatment. Both the TECHNOLAS ACE and VISX S4 IR (Abbott Medical Optics, Santa Ana, CA) trackers compensate for the cyclorotation of the eye that can occur between the sitting position during critical diagnostic measurements and lying down on the LASIK bed. However, only the TECHNOLAS ACE technology can adjust the delivery of laser pulses in response to eye rotation during the treatment. Further, the Technolas ACE system is enabled for both conventional and customized wavefront-guided treatments, while the VISX S4 IR tracker cannot adjust for cyclotorsion associated with conventional treatments.
The eyetrackers of the Wavelight Allegretto and Eye Q lasers and Ladarvision brand lasers (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, TX) cannot compensate for eye rotation at all. In fact, a recent large study by Emory University using the Wavelight laser demonstrated that astigmatic eyes were nearly twice as likely as non-astigmatic eyes to require a touch up or enhancement procedure following LASIK. Increased enhancement rates among astigmatic eyes could be indicative or eye rotation during the treatment that goes unchecked. (2)
“This new eye tracker also doubles the speed of tracking so as to allow the laser to rapidly adjust to the eye’s movements; response time with CE is now under 7 milliseconds, or 0.007 seconds. ACE also adjusts for the pupil center shifting that can occur between light and dark settings, critical to the proper centering of customized LASIK treatments over the pupil”, states Dr. Andrew Tharp, eye surgeon at The Vision Care Center. “We have now been successfully treating our astigmatic patients with LASIK and getting wonderful results, with most seeing 20/20 the day after surgery”, he continues.
To learn more about LASIK and the advanced technology of the ACE tracker, you can attend Dr. Tharp’s free monthly seminars. The next seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, July 21st, 6pm at The Vision Care Center’s Gateway location in Newburgh. For more information and to reserve your seat call The Vision Care Center at 812.490.3937.
TSA relaxes restrictions on eyedrops, saline
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has relaxed restrictions on the type and amount of liquids passengers may carry aboard both international and domestic flights.
The agency announced earlier this month that passengers may now board flights with all prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels, and aerosols) including petroleum jelly, eye drops, and saline solution for medical purposes.
The new regulations state that passengers with disabilities and medical conditions may board with the products and are not limited in the amount or volume of prescription or over- the-counter medications they may bring in carry-on luggage.
However, TSA indicated that if the medically necessary item exceeds a limit of three ounces or is not contained in a one quart, zip-top plastic bag, that it must be declared for inspection by security officers at the check point.
TSA officials warned that it was normal procedure to X-ray medications and related supplies. However, as a customer service, passengers may ask that security officials visually inspect medication and associated supplies to prevent contamination or damage.
For more information, visit the TSA Website at: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds/editorial_1059.shtm.