Laser eye surgery doesn't damage corneas, study suggests

While many people have undergone various vision-correction procedures in which laser light is used to reshape the cornea, there has been some people in and out of the medical profession who have worried the operations were causing damage that would eventually become apparent.

Seeking to determine if these concerns are justified, doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., set out to assess the risk to corneas posed by two popular laser vision-correction procedures, photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK, and laser in situ keratomileusis, better known as LASIK.

Two Mayo doctors, Sanjay V. Patel and William M. Bourne, studied 29 eyes of 16 patients who had undergone LASIK or PRK.

Photographs of the endothelial cells lining the corneas were taken and analyzed before and nine years after surgery.

What Patel and Bourne discovered and reported in an article published in the Archives of Ophthalmology was that after nine years the eyes that had been corrected with PRK or LASIK had experienced a 5.3 percent reduction in the density of corneal endothelial cells.

While that might sound bad it isn't, according to the doctors.

That's because on average the endothelial density loss recorded, about 0.6 percent per year, was the same in the eyes that had been laser corrected and those that had not.

"Our results support the findings of numerous short-term studies that found no significant endothelial cell loss after LASIK and PRK," the authors wrote in their Archives of Ophthalmology article.

Not only are their results good news for people who have undergone LASIK or PRK or considering it, according to Patel and Bourne, they suggest corneal tissue from organ donors who have had laser procedures could be used in a cornea transplant procedure known as posterior lamellar keratoplasty.

The Mayo Clinic study was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, by Research to Prevent Blindness Inc., and by the Mayo Foundation.

credits : The sun coast news

PRINCE William-planning-laser eye surgery

PRINCE William is planning to have controversial laser eye surgery so he doesn't have to wear specs.

The 23-year-old is considering undergoing the surgery in the next few months after seeing a consultant at the world-renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. The op involves slicing the front of the eye and training a laser on the exposed cornea.

William's main worry is it may put his Army career in jeopardy - potential recruits can't apply to sign up until at least a year after surgery.

A royal source said last night: "William has found out he may have to wear glasses full-time and he's been very keen to explore the possibility of laser eye surgery.

"He's gone into hospital and seen a consultant, who's explained how it works and the risks involved.

"He knows it's controversial and there are issues with joining the Army but he's positive about the idea."

If William goes ahead with the operation, an eye surgeon will slice open a small flap in the surface of his cornea. A laser will then be directed on to the exposed part of his eyeball for up to 30 seconds to re-shape the cornea before the flap is re-positioned.

About 100,000 people have the surgery in Britain each year.

Patients are usually able to go back to work after a day's rest.

But complications after surgery - including damage to tear ducts - have forced the military not to accept patients as recruits for at least 12 months.

An Army recruitment official said: "Laser surgery is not a bar to entry. However, it does depend on the type of surgery - we would need details. Candidates may apply one year after surgery." The Ministry of Defence said the decision was made on a "case by case basis".

William was ecstatic when he was told on Friday that he had been accepted into Sandhurst military academy in Berkshire - where his brother Harry is training to become an officer.

Last week he completed gruelling selection tests at Sandhurst. For four days he endured a rigorous assessment including an assault course, a planning exercise and interviews.

William's decision to consider eye surgery may also be prompted by his desire to preserve the good looks which have made him a heart-throb around the world.

The Prince is known to fret constantly over his growing bald spot.

William's admission into Sandhurst ended weeks of speculation about whether he would continue the Royal family's tradition of serving in the military.

He has recently worked at Chatsworth House stately home in Derbyshire in order to learn how large estates are run. He helped out in a butcher's shop there and spent a few days organising sets for the Bolshoi Ballet after getting a job as a stage hand.

Next month he will work for three weeks at the HSBC bank in the City, shadowing top financiers and working in the charity services division. He is also due to join a mountain rescue team.

A Palace spokesman last night confirmed William had seen an eye specialist at Moorfields. He said the prince was aware of the restrictions on entry to Sandhurst. "He will not do anything to jeopardise his career," he added.

ben.harvey@sundaymirror.co.ukTHE DANGERS-MOST laser surgery patients can return to work after a day's rest but if the procedure goes wrong a person's eyesight can be destroyed.

-ONE in every 500 operations is such a disaster that a new cornea has to be grafted on to the damaged eyeball.

-HOSPITALS also warn that one in 50 patients experience complications when doctors cut a flap in the surface of the eye - If the flap does not heal quickly, vision can be blurred for days.

-SOME patients require artificial tear supplements for years after surgery because their tear ducts are damaged during the operation.

Australian Opener gets lazer surgery

BRIDGETOWN (Reuters) - Australia opening batsman Phil Jaques scored his first test century on foreign soil on Saturday and credited laser eye surgery with improving his performance at the crease.

Jaques, who scored 108 against West Indies on the third day of the third test, had played with contact lenses in the past but before heading out to the Caribbean he turned to the experts to correct his vision.

"I decided to bite the bullet and go for the laser eye," he said.

"The guys at the Eye Institute sorted me out. It was really good.

"I've found that in the field the high balls were heaps better and as for batting I've got a lot more time and I don't have to worry about the contacts. It's a big relief. It's pretty much changed my life," he added.

Jaques and Simon Katich put on 223 for the opening wicket -- the second best in an Australia second innings -- and Jaques said they had taken advantage of an improved batting surface.

"I think today was probably the best day to bat. I think the pace wasn't quite as evident in the wicket as the first day. I think the bounce was probably a little more consistent as well.

"It will be interesting to see how the next two days pan out. It definitely spun a bit more towards the end of play, watching it from up top. Hopefully our quick bowlers can get the early wickets and the spinners can finish it off," he said.

Australians prefer LASER

AUSTRALIANS would prefer better sight to a surgically improved bust or stomach, a study has found.
Despite the rising popularity of cosmetic surgery, Australians are twice more likely to want laser eye surgery than breast enhancements, nose jobs or liposuction.
A News poll survey of 1207 adults on behalf of Advance Medical Optics found one in four men and one in five women would favor corrective eye surgery to any other "self-improvement" surgery.
Only half of those surveyed said they would have cosmetic surgery to improve their life.
While 23 per cent said they would have their eyes improved, just 10 per cent said they wanted liposuction, 7 per cent sought a tummy tuck and 5 per cent considered a chest enhancement.
Elsternwick ophthalmologist Dr Rick Wolfe said the survey showed many people saw eye surgery as a functional operation, rather than a cosmetic procedure.
"There is often a cosmetic motive as well, but most people do not do this for cosmetic reasons," he said.
SOURCES:HERALD SUN