LASIK results: Great impact, but room for improvement
This is a guest post by life sciences entrepreneur Mikael Totterman
Lifting the flap
In my last post (When it comes to investing, the eye has it) I wrote that venture investors are flocking to ophthalmic investments due to extensive unmet needs. One such need is refractive correction. The vast majority of the 150 million Americans who require refractive correction still rely on old-fashioned glasses and contact lenses. Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis surgery (LASIK) is a solution for some, but there are only 700,000 procedures in the US per year, just a tiny fraction of the potential.
It led me to ask, what’s going on with LASIK, and can LASIK be improved?
Is There an Opportunity to Improve LASIK?
One of the more interesting studies presented at the 2014 American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting #aao14 were the results from the LASIK Quality of Life Collaboration Project (LQOLCP). The study has been an extensive collaborative effort between the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Defense.
The key findings are:
LASIK can very reliably correct vision
Many patients who undergo LASIK experience unwanted side-effects and complications
My takeaway: Perhaps there is an opportunity to develop a next generation LASIK that is less invasive and has fewer side effects.
LASIK is Able to Very Reliably Correct Visual Acuity
In terms of 3-Month Visual Acuity Outcomes, over 95% of the subjects achieved 20/20 or ...
Source: Health Business Blog - Category: Health Managers Authors: dewe67 Tags: Devices Entrepreneurs Technology Source Type: blogs