HOUSTON -- May 31, 2006 -- Initial findings of a US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) clinical trial for approval of Bausch
& Lomb's Zyoptix excimer laser indicate results with advanced wavefront-guided
Lasik for farsighted vision better than conventional Lasik.
Wavefront-guided Lasik utilizes a detailed mapping system of
the optics of each patient's eye to determine the best method of
correction for myopia (nearsighted, shortsighted), hyperopia (farsighted,
longsighted) vision, and astigmatism (irregular cornea).
The information released by Stephen Slade, MD of Houston, TX,
describes the methods and results of a prospective, randomized,
contralateral eye trial performed on 80 eyes of 40 patients. One
eye received Lasik with wavefront-guided Zyoptix and the other conventional
LASIK (Planoscan). Fully 90% of Zyoptix (vs. 67% Planoscan) eyes
were within 0.50 diopter of the target and 95% vs. 78% were within
1.00 D. Slight undercorrection for Zyoptix vs. slight overcorrection
for Planoscan was noted.
Higher order aberration, a measurement of imperfections of the
optics of the eye, was significantly lower for Zyoptix eyes vs.
Planoscan, according to Slade.
Zyoptix competitor for the farsighted Lasik laser market Visx
received FDA approval for wavefront-guided hyperopia correction
in December 2004.
Image courtesy
Bausch & Lomb
