Zeiss has achieved two milestones in refractive technology, having completed 1.5 million treatments with SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) and produced its 1,000th VisuMax femtosecond laser.
“We are delighted that doctors worldwide have applied the minimally invasive laser correction procedure over 1.5 million times for the treatment of ametropia,” said Jim Mazzo, Global President Ophthalmic Devices at Carl Zeiss Meditec. “We offer surgeons one of the most comprehensive portfolios for refractive laser surgery and the production of the 1,000th Zeiss VisuMax is another testament to our leadership in this field.”
…the experience was ‘simple and quick’
Zeiss is setting performance benchmarks in corneal surgery with VisuMax, the only approved femtosecond laser on the market to treat ametropia using the minimally invasive procedure. The VisuMax creates a thin, lenticular disc (lenticule) in the cornea, which is extracted by the surgeon through a small incision in the corneal surface, also created by the laser. The virtually intact corneal surface minimises disruption to the biomechanics of the cornea.
SIMPLE AND QUICK
In 2014 mivision reported on the experience of Professor Harry Weisinger (then Deakin University’s Foundation Director of Optometry), who was one of the first patients to undergo SMILE in Australia. Having heard about SMILE, Professor Weisinger’s initial plan was to travel to the London clinic for the procedure until he was made aware of Dr. Iain Dunlop from Canberra Eye Laser – one of two ophthalmologists in Australia who were, at the time, experienced with the technique. Prof. Weisinger said the experience was “simple and quick” and within less than 48 hours he was riding his bike.
Three months on, he reported that vision was “better than 6/6” and the fact that he no longer had to wear glasses was incredibly liberating.
Zeiss has over thirty years of experience in refractive laser technology and during this time, has launched numerous innovations. It has a portfolio of 85 patent families and over 240 granted patents, which include developments in several areas of corneal femtosecond laser technology, methods to achieve focus quality, patient interface design, shape and sequence of certain laser incisions, and innovative illumination methods.
