History of Lasik eye surgery relates to eye surgeries that involve incisions in the cornea which began as early as the later part of the 1890's but it was largely experimental during those times. The success of eye surgeries took place after fifty more years from the time it started.
During World War II, the Japanese began conducting experimental surgeries in correcting myopia among Asians. Back then, the procedure entailed a series of corneal incisions in order for flattening to be done. As the eye undergoes the healing process, the cornea becomes depressed thus, the refractive errors in patients is being corrected. Due to the many complications that arise and the general predictability, physicians abandoned this early technique.
In the early part of 1960's, Keratomileusis was relatively hard to perform and the outcomes were very unpredictable. Without the use of contemporary diagnostic tools, correction of defective vision was made through the process of trial and error. Several years later, experimentation and research in this field gave birth to a refined version called Automated Lamellar Keratoplasty (ALK).
The ALK method was implemented similar to that of Keratomileusis originally performed by Dr. Barraquer. The difference of this new procedure lies in the use of a microkeratome. This is the instrument employed in removing accurate amount of corneal tissue and doing away with the freezing, replacement, and reshaping components. In ALK, the microkeratome is used in incising a small flap in the cornea's surface and folding it back when the thin disc from corneal stoma is being removed. The diameter and thickness of the disc that has been taken away will dictate the alteration in the patient's refractive defect.
In spite of its relatively improved way in treating myopia as compared to the previous forms of refractive operations, ALK was still considered not a reliable procedure. Again this method was later on abandoned in lieu of the newly favored technique called Radial Keratotomy invented by the Russians.
The Advent of Refractive Surgery
During the second half of the 1960's a significant increase in popularity took place in the refractive procedures even when the success were still at a lower rate in comparison to the modern technology employed these days.
The fame gained by the field of refractive processes was largely due to the particular invention of Radial Keratotomy. The pioneering Russian Ophthalmologist named Fyodorov made a few modifications on Dr. Barraquer's method of Keratomileusis. He tried reshaping the cornea without even removing a single tissue. With the use of a scalpel, Fyodorov made a series of radial incisions up to about 90% in the cornea's thickness.
The incision's number varies depending on the gravity of the eye's refractive defect and the needed correction. When the eye heals, the cornea's center depresses and an effective change in refractive error happens. However, this method was still basically a manual process. In addition to that, the range of myopia and astigmatism that it could treat was very limited.
Era of Excimer Laser
In the 1970's diamond knives were used in radial keratotomy which resulted in the procedure becoming more popular. In 1973, Steven Trokel started testing the technology of excimer laser and its probable contribution in the field of refractive surgery. Its tremendous precision and ability to emit low heat attracted Dr. Trokel to make use of it. This led to the development of Photo Refractive Keratectomy which is still performed today as an alternative to LASIK.
The Reign of LASIK
It was in the 1990's that a surgical procedure that is accurate and without the discomfort of an exhausting recovery came in. LASIK was pioneered by the Greek doctor named Ioannis Pillikaris. The technique was able to synthesize both Keratomileusis and Photo Refractive Keratotomy. Treatment with LASIK was less abrasive and dramatically improved.
Currently, LASIK itself has undergone innovations for its improvement. With its general safety, accuracy, and efficacy makes it a more bankable procedure. Recent developments in this particular type of refractive surgery have been made and are now being utilized in treating errors in refraction.
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