Eyeworld

you have been here for one-and-a- half years; has any patient come for an enhancement?" "No," Mr. Yang replied. So while the initial LASIK "wow" factor helped to make the procedure a staple of refractive surgery, Dr. Ho's referrals have gone through the roof due to Epi-LASIK. "Epi-LASIK can be just as good to get patients to refer," Dr. Ho said. "When everything settles down, you don't have to worry about dry eye, corneal thinning, and flap-related injuries." Further, active people can take up sports sooner after Epi-LASIK. They can take up swimming 2 weeks after Epi-LASIK, but should wait a month after LASIK, Dr. Ho said. Epi-LASIK patients can take up contact sports 3 weeks after the procedure, but LASIK patients should wait a year, Dr. Ho said. Some of this could be consid- ered medical opinion, as Dr. Ho mentioned that his busy clinic has precluded publishing research in peer-reviewed literature. But it is a well-informed opin- ion. Prior to switching to Epi-LASIK, Dr. Ho recalled a series of unpleasant LASIK cases. "I had patients coming in after 2 to 3 months," he said. "Some patients were very angry about the dryness of their eyes." In part, that was due to LASIK flap complications. "During my LASIK days, I would get called back for [flap] dislodge- ment," Dr. Ho said. If there was real distortion, I would have to spend another half hour to replace the flap. But with Epi-LASIK I have done 6,000 to 7,000 procedures and never had this problem." Those with thin corneas, high myopia and dry eyes are all suitable candidates for Epi-LASIK, but not necessarily for LASIK. Dr. Ho acknowledged that Epi- LASIK may never gain the notoriety that LASIK has. "Most people know about LASIK rather than Epi-LASIK," he said. Not all is rosy with Epi-LASIK. In recent literature, subjective post- operative pain scores have been reported to be higher with surface ablation techniques (including Epi-LASIK) as compared to LASIK. But that might be a small price to pay for long-term visual benefits such as freedom from dry eye, cornea ectasia risks, and flap-related complications. For patients who still prefer LASIK, Dr. Ho said, "I am happy to lose them." EW Editors' note: Dr. Ho performs Epi-LASIK at the Clearvision Eye Clinic and LASIK Centre. Contact information Ho: hokw888@hotmail.com EW REFRACTIVE SURGERY February 2011 35 April 2014 The specialists in single-use. www.malosa.com • LASIK / LASEK / ReLEx / PRK • Phaco • Oculoplastics • IVT • Strabismus • Sub-Tenons ... "Malosa's single-use instruments and procedure packs provide optimal patient safety and brand new, flawless instruments for every eye." Prof. Dan Z Reinstein, MD MA(Cantab) FRCSC DABO FRCOphth FEBO - The London Vision Clinic • Brand new instruments, every time. • Zero cross-contamination risk. • Increased patient throughput. The specialists in single-use. View our online brochure. Complete range of Instruments and Procedure Packs for all Ophthalmic specialties. Over 350 Instruments & 400 Packs for all specialties. ASCRS BOOTH 205—207 09:34

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