Nov 3, 2009 5:44 pm US/Eastern
New Laser Technology Clearing Up Corneas
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
A high-tech medical breakthrough is giving some people their eyesight back.
Lakitra Lacey, 30, can read a magazine for the first time in years. She has keratonconus, an eye disease that causes scarring on the cornea.
"It was giving me horrible migraines, not being able to read a book or focus on a computer. My eyes would itch," she said. "It was very frustrating." It got so bad she had to quit her job.
The only solution was a cornea transplant. The same intralase laser vision correction technology used for Lasik is now being used for cornea transplants. It's stronger compared to a traditional cornea transplant that uses a conventional surgical cutting blade.
Lakitra is one of the first in the country to get a laser-assisted transplant. "It's a really accurate laser. It fires at 60,000 times per second," said eye surgeon Dr. Michael Aronsky.
Aronsky went on to explain, "We cut a certain shape on the patients and a matching shape on the donor. So when they go together it fits like a puzzle."
The more precise the fit the faster it heals, Aronsky said. "A good analogy is when you dovetail corners in wood working and you get a real strong bond. That's what we're doing with the intralase for corneal transplants, he added.
Bryant Keal, 45, got a new cornea from a donor with the new technology. He was excited about the prospects of being able to see again. "When I get it done, I should be able to drive again," said Keal.
And for Lakitra, weeks after the transplant she was back on the computer and seeing clearly. "I'm able to focus. I'm able to sit on a computer as long as I want," she said happily.
Corneas are the most common organ transplant; 41,000 are performed each year.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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