More than meets Rochester’s Eyes

Millions of people have reduced their need for contact lenses and glasses through a procedure known as LASIK. The surgery is a ballet of precision where the cornea is sculpted by a highly accurate laser. And Rochester, a city rich in optics research and manufacturing, has a hand in this burgeoning industry. Bausch & Lomb is one of the world’s leading suppliers of ophthalmic laser technology. Its Zyoptix system is arguably best at restoring a person’s quantity and quality of vision.

What few know is how this technology came to be, and that Rochesterians are getting some of the best outcomes in the world from this surgery. That’s thanks in part to Dr. Scott MacRae and the highly dedicated team of professionals at the University of Rochester Eye Institute’s StrongVision.

Seven years ago, University of Rochester scientist David Williams and Bausch & Lomb convinced Dr. MacRae to leave Portland, Oregon, for Rochester. Williams had devised a better way to measure the most subtle imperfections in the eye. Up to this point, LASIK couldn’t treat imperfections that couldn’t be measured. So some LASIK patients had to compromise with vision that fell short of their expectations, or they were ruled out altogether as candidates.

MacRae was the missing piece to the puzzle. His expertise as a LASIK surgeon and his research experience set the stage for a groundbreaking innovation. The team rapidly adapted the technology from Williams’ lab for clinical use, and a U.S. Food & Drug Administration clinical trial was held. Not only was the new technology approved, the visual improvements were the best to date seen in any FDA trial.

Referred to as “wavefront” vision correction, the technology elevated the precision of LASIK. Before its introduction, surgeons could only treat near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and, to some extent, astigmatism. Today, ophthalmologists are correcting dozens of optical imperfections that can cause visual symptoms such as poor night vision or seeing starbursts when looking at objects.

Just recently, StrongVision and Dr. MacRae unveiled yet another innovation called the University of Rochester Nomogram. This sophisticated equation controls the software that creates patient-customized laser treatment. The experienced StrongVision team reports that over 98% of patients who undergo LASIK using the nomogram achieve 20/20 vision or better using both eyes. According to Dr. MacRae, this equals or exceeds any other outcome reported worldwide. The system is now being used by clinicians around the world and recently gained high praise at the European Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery Meeting.

“We see this as the visual event of a person’s lifetime,” said MacRae. This is why the team is so meticulous with each patient. When someone first contacts StrongVision, an educational process begins. Here they learn about LASIK and whether or not they’re a good candidate. They also gain an understanding of how their vision will be in the near and distant future as a result of their surgery. It is this holistic approach to medicine combined with advanced technology that is responsible for the team’s success.

ROCHESTER RESOURCE
Strong Vision
100 Meridian Centre, Suite 125
Rochester, NY 14618
(585) 273-2020