Laser vision correction seen as clear winner with patients

Some call it life-changing. Others say it’s nothing short of miraculous. Laser vision correction has arrived, and legions of Northern Colorado residents are casting off their eyeglasses and contacts in favor of this revolutionary procedure.

Since 1995, more than 2,000 people in the region have had the procedure, which uses a beam of laser light to reshape the cornea and improve vision – often to 20-20.

The technique is the culmination of 10 years of study. U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval came three years ago, and since then, interest in the procedure has been growing.

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For normal vision to occur, light rays bend as they pass through the clear front surface of the eye called the cornea, and the lens focuses them into an image on the retina.

Nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are caused by variations in the curvature of the cornea, which cause the eye’s point of focus to fall in front of the retina, creating a distorted image.

Laser vision correction is a process of sculpting the cornea by removing microscopic bits of tissue.

In as little time as 50 seconds per eye, the laser changes the shape of the cornea to enable images to come into crisp focus on the retina.

“The excimer laser is a phenomenal instrument,´ said Dr. Gary Foster, an ophthalmologist at the Eye Center of Northern Colorado who is trained to do the procedure. “Each pulse of the laser removes a quarter micron of tissue – an amount so small it actually vaporizes into the air. And the entire procedure takes about 20 minutes.”

Such state-of-the art technology doesn’t come cheap, however. Standard cost for the procedure is about $2,300 per eye, and because it is considered elective surgery by most insurers, don’t expect that it will be covered under your health-care plan.

Foster said that financing is available and the laser manufacturers have negotiated some corporate discounts for larger companies, but he doesn’t expect the price to drop substantially.

“The cost probably won’t come down soon, because the cost for FDA approval was so high and the technology hasn’t stabilized yet,” he said. “They’re continually improving it in order to treat a larger group of people with different conditions.”

The procedure was originally designed to correct nearsightedness, but astigmatism patients are being considered as well, and treatment for farsightedness should be available within six months to a year, Foster said.

“This is an exciting technology,” Foster said. “One of the fun things about it is the reaction we get from people who have had the procedure done. They get amazing results.”

Pain associated with the procedure is minimal, he said. Most patients experience some discomfort for about two hours after the procedure. In some cases, a second “enhancement” procedure is needed to fine-tune results, but to date, all data indicate that results are permanent.

Despite the expense, interest in the procedure is immense and escalating, Foster said. Seminars and free consultations on the procedure are available, and word-of-mouth is drawing new patients.

Foster said the ideal candidate for this procedure is nearsighted, motivated to decrease his or her dependence on glasses or contact lenses, over 21 and has vision that has stabilized.

So, is the traditional optical center with its inventory of eyeglasses and contact lenses destined to go the way of the dinosaur? Not by a long shot, Foster said. Optimistic predictions estimate that only about 2 percent of the optical market will opt for laser surgery.