FDA Grants Mixed Astigmatism Approval to WaveLight

STERLING, Va., April 2007 — A new U.S Food and Drug Administration approval means WaveLight's Allegretto Wave Eye-Q excimer Laser System for wavefront-guided LASIK and other procedures now can be used to treat mixed astigmatism of up to 6.00 diopters.

A company statement says the FDA has granted four approvals in the past year, enabling an expanded range of vision correction treatments for the excimer laser, including up to -7.00 diopters of nearsightedness.

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Older People Undergoing LASIK Can Achieve Good Outcomes

CHICAGO, April 2007 — Older individuals undergoing LASIK can achieve positive outcomes, along with a good safety profile, says a University of Illinois at Chicago study. Adjustments were made in vision corrections to compensate for differences in the way the eye's clear front surface (cornea) heals in people 40 or older, said investigator and study co-author Dimitri Azar, MD. "We are seeing an increasing demand for LASIK surgery for older adults, who present special challenges," Azar said. The study involved 710 consecutive laser eye surgeries in 424 people between 40 and 69. In all groups studied, 91% to 97% achieved 20/40 uncorrected vision for nearsightedness. But Azar said presbyopia, which affects near vision in older people, is a special problem. One solution is monovision, when one eye is corrected for near vision and the other for distance.

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