|
Jack Sibley,
my father, got his first pair of eye
glasses in first grade. His glass es
were as thick as coke bottles in every
picture I have ever seen of him. Without his
glasses he could not even see the lint in
his navel. Today he sees 20/20 without
glasses.
My brother, Paul Sibley, M.D., a surgeon,
got his first eye glasses in junior high.
He graduated to contact lenses a year
later. His vision was never clear, and his
eyes were never comfortable and always
irritated. His eyes would dry out on
airplanes, and he feared losing a contact
lens every time he went scuba diving.
Today his vision also is 20/20 without
glasses.
Both my father and brother used to joke
about having to listen to people on the
beach to know which way to swim to shore
when they were in the ocean. They laugh
about the "old days" when they could not
find their own beach towel coming out of
the water in Daytona Beach where we grew
up. Now they sit around comparing who has
the best vision and whose eyes are more
"bionic." They laugh about the time they
spent with "four eyes" instead of two.
Besides being father and son, what they
have in common is that both of them
decided to abandon their glasses (visual
crutches) with a treatment called
refractive surgery.
Millions of people could soon be free of
their glasses thanks to refractive
surgery. Vision correction with laser or
R.K. has become very simple, safe and
successful. The treatment can mean the end
of cumbersome eye-wear (glasses or contact
lenses) for those with nearsightedness,
farsightedness or astigmatism.
Over 60 million Americans could receive
this treatment. I predict that refractive
surgery will become the world's most
common surgical procedure within two
years.
This could be called the "eye laser
miracle." We are finally reaching a point
where people feel comfortable with the
idea of having it done.
There are three ways to get clear vision:
eye glasses, contact lenses, or refractive
treatment. Refractive treatment options
have now increased. The three main
procedures available are R.K., P.R.K. (excimer
laser) and LASIK.
Option one includes R.K. Using a diamond
scalpel, the surgeon makes a series of
microscopic radial, spoke-like incisions.
There is no laser involved. There is a
high success rate, but this is limited to
nearsightedness or astigmatism correction
only. This has been successfully performed
in the United States since 1978.
Option two is PRK (excimer laser). A
computer-guided laser vaporizes tissue
across the surface of the cornea. It is as
if the contact lens prescription was being
engraved on the surface of the eye instead
of wearing a contact lens. This was
approved by the FDA in 1995.
Option three is LASIK. The eye surgeon has
to cut and lift the thin, protective flap.
The computer-guided laser then vaporizes
the tissue similar to PRK at this middle
level and the flap is repositioned in
place.
The PRK and the LASIK can treat
farsightedness in addition to
nearsightedness and astigmatism. The FDA
just approved this in July of 1999.
Laser vision correction/refractive surgery
could free millions from their glasses. My
father and brother were two of those
patients. Fortunately, their results were
20/20 vision in both eyes. Each one says,
"I am seeing better than ever before."
In coming weeks we will discuss other
miracles that help restore vision and
could prevent blindness. This may include
a new treatment to help everyone over 40
to throw away their reading glasses when
they get "old-sightedness," and their arms
get "too short" to read without glasses.
A reminder: January is Eye Health Care
Month. Stay tuned here for more important
information about protecting your sight. |
