laser eye surgery
Apr
Ophthalmologist
Dr. Stephen Slade was the first surgeon in the United States to perform LASIK eye surgery and also has the longest experience with Bladeless LASIK or LASIK performed with two lasers including one to make the flap. Dr. Stephen Slade has extensive experience and has performed LASIK and other types of refractive surgery on more than 25,000 patients from Houston and around the world. More recently, Dr. Stephen Slade performed the first Laser Cataract Surgery procedure in the United States, setting a new standard in cataract care. LASIK eye surgery pioneer Dr. Stephen Slade, MD, FACS is a Houston, Texas native who is a specialist in vision correction procedures. Patients from all around the world seek the professional ophthalmology and LASIK eye surgery services of Dr. Stephen Slade.
The following article was written by Dr. Stephen Slade:
Innovation, Industry and the Private Practice Ophthalmologist
The private practice sector of ophthalmology, in partnership with industry, is the most powerful driver of innovation in our specialty. The list is almost too long to cite; from Charles Kelman to phacoemulsificiation; Barraquer, Buratto, Brint and LASIK; even the excimer laser itself came from a partnership with industry—IBM. Can you imagine the practice of cataract and refractive surgery today meant to be the actual speciality not the journal, for example, if we did not have any of the innovations stemming from the partnership between the private sector and industry? These gifts include posterior chamber IOLs, clear corneal incisions, topical anesthesia, and so many other surgical techniques and instruments. The very way we manage and conduct our practices heavily influenced by the private sector and our industry partnerships. Think of Ambulatory Surgery Centers, marketing, patient education, and I don’t need to list all of the recent cosmetic advancements.
There is little wonder that there is such a long list of innovations from the teaming of private sector with industry. Our practices depend upon these advances. The eye itself demands technology and innovation; the surgery is challenging and has to be delicate and elegant. The instruments are minute, and we are always pushing limits as a routine. We can’t even see much of what we do in the OR without technology. We require superb bio and operating microscopes. Where would ophthalmologic diagnosis and treatment be without all of the other imaging technologies such as optical coherence tomography, ultrasound, topography, and wavefront analysis? This is at the core of why I went into ophthalmology. I was fascinated by how precisely you could quantify your postoperative results—and your own skill level— in terms of 20/20, 20/30, etc. You can’t do that with gall bladder surgery. New diagnostic technology allows us to even further grade ourselves so that we may constantly improve our surgery. Even in a business sense, what other medical specialty or even any small business man has such a heavy investment in capital equipment as the ophthalmologist with his excimer or two, a femtosecond laser, multiple diagnostic instruments, and a few lanes of equipment. Some of us spend more on technology than we do on our homes!
And certainly no specialty has more toys. I knew I was in the right place as soon as I started practice and learned myopic keratomileusis (MKM). MKM was the first example in medicine of taking a part of the human body and modifying it to function better than ever using computers and technology. I was hooked. Although my early mentors were university based like Kaufman and Koch, I owe much of what I do today to private practice surgeons including Barraquer, Buratto, Brint, and Nordan, who were all more than willing to share with me. Indeed the private sector has always shared and taught innovation and technique, from industry based LASIK courses to huge educational meetings like ASCRS. Our professional societies and educational meetings are largely funded from private practice eye surgeons and industry. In fact, our largest professional society in cataract and refractive surgery, ASCRS, was organized, and has largely been led by, private sector ophthalmologists.
When I think of what I do on a daily basis in my practice, most of the innovations, most of what I use, has come from the private sector. And typically these innovations are developed with a forward thinking industry. Yes, they are profit driven. Years ago though, I realized as long as industry was plowing back substantial percentages, and they are, into research and development, they will provide us with the tools we need to improve.
What drives this ability for investment return? First, as cataract surgery is the number one expenditure in medicine, is our ability to be reimbursed fairly for premium IOLs. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ruling on May 11, 2005—spearheaded by J. Andy Corley, Corporate Vice President and Global President, Surgical Products, Bausch & Lomb—authorized the current market- and work-based fee schedule. The first premium IOL available in the United States was developed by a private practice ophthalmologist in partnership with industry, the Crystalens (previously Eyeonics, Inc., Aliso Viejo, CA; now Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY), which received US FDA approval on November 13, 2003. Today the Crystalens is the most commonly used premium lens in the United States and, as recently as 2009, it was thought to represent more than 50% of all premium lenses used in the United States. Second is our freedom with so many elective, patient-pay procedures; LASIK, PRK, even contact lenses and glasses. Our field remains attractive to invesment. Mergers and acquisitions of major ophthalmology companies, eg, AMO, Bausch & Lomb, Visx, Intralase, are plentiful. This provides venture companies with the ability to generate the kind of multiples they need to attract new capital.
Private practice ophthalmology and industry have driven innovation through the highest levels of scrutiny and proof as well. Currently I am working with industry and the FDA on femtosecond laser refractive cataract surgery, new accommodating IOLS, new pharmaceuticals, corneal approaches to presbyopia, and topography-guided LASIK. Indeed, most investigators for the majority of the FDA trials I have participated in have been in private practice and the trial itself sponsored by industry. After the FDA, there is no higher test than the real world of private practice with hundreds of surgeons performing thousands of cases.
Yet much more innovation is needed. Our patients need artificial retinas, a cure and reversal for age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. Can we create better vision than what we were born with? Why not a wider field, sharper acuity, extended color vision? More mundane but pervasive, why must we wear reading glasses after a lifetime of glasses-free vision? I believe we are coming into the best time ever for ophthalmology driven by the maturation of the baby boomers with their eye care needs. Currently there are 76 million of us boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—and our numbers will double in 10 years. My group will not go gently into that good night. We will demand increased care, new cures, avoidance of aging and more technology, especially with our most important sense, our sight. Innovation, industry, and the private practice ophthalmologist; how could you ever separate them?
Stephen G. Slade, MD, is a surgeon at Slade and Baker Vision in Houston. Dr. Slade may be reached at (713) 626-5544; sgs@visiontexas.com.
New Jersey LASIK, Stephen Slade, Denver Vision Correction, Dentist Plano
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Aug
Dr. Paul Cutarelli, MD
If you are interested in learning how Dr. Paul Cutarelli can help you see without wearing contact lenses or glasses, visit our website Cutarelli LASIK Center to learn more. We offer information about our top LASIK surgeon in Fort Collins Colorado who has been practicing laser vision correction for many years and is one of the most experienced in the world.
One of the best LASIK surgeons in Fort Collins, Colorado offers information about his practice, Cutarelli Vision. Cutarelli Vision has helped patients in the Fort Collins, Colorado area see without wearing glasses and contact lenses. Dr. Paul Cutarelli is one of the most experienced LASIK surgeons in the nation. Please feel free to schedule a consultation to see whether you are a candidate for LASIK or IntraLasik.
Dr. Paul Cutarelli of Cutarelli Vision in Fort Collins, Colorado offers LASIK and IntraLasik procedures for those who are looking to see without wearing glasses or contacts. Dr. Paul Cutarelli is one of the most experienced LASIK doctors in the world. He has been in business for many years and is one of the first doctors to have performed LASIK surgery in the Colorado area.
Cutarelli Vision provides information regarding the most advanced technology in laser eye correction industry that is available. Dr. Paul Cutarelli makes sure that he is on the cutting-edge of LASIK developments by updating his equipment and having the most advanced lasers available.
Top Colorado LASIK Surgeon, Dr. Paul Cutarelli offers various laser vision correction procedures to help patients see without having to wearing glasses or contact lenses. Cutarelli Vision offers information about all latest technologically advanced lasers and equipment that are available in our Fort Collins, Colorado practice. Dr. Paul Cutarelli is one of the most recognized LASIK surgeons in the western part of the United States.
Top LASIK Surgeon Colorado, Dr. Paul Cutarelli, director of Cutarelli Vision offers laser vision correction surgery for a wide range of vision problems. Whether you are a candidate or LASIK or IntraLasik, Dr. Paul Cutarelli offers the latest technology and equipment for your vision correction. If you are in the Fort Collins, Colorado area and want to know if you are a candidate for LASIK or Intralasik, feel free to set up a free consultation with Dr. Paul Cutarelli.
Dr. Paul Cutarelli has helped many people see clearly without wearing glasses and contacts. Read Cutarelli Reviews for testimonials of actual patients who are satisfied with their procedures and are grateful that they’ve met Dr. Paul Cutarelli in his Fort Collins, Colorado office. Dr. Paul Cutarelli always makes sure that his patients are treated with respect and as individuals deserving of the best possible care.
The climate of Colorado is quite complex compared to most of the United States. Unlike in other states, southern Colorado is not necessarily warmer than northern Colorado. Mountains and surrounding valleys greatly affect local climate. As a general rule, with an increase in elevation comes a decrease in temperature and an increase in precipitation. A main climatic division in Colorado occurs between the Rocky Mountains on the west and the plains on the east with the foothills forming a transitional zone between the two.
Dr. Paul Cutarelli is a pioneer in the LASIK industry in the Colorado area and was one of the first LASIK surgeons to purchase the latest laser technology that has revolutionized LASIK. One of the greatest achievements of Dr. Paul Cutarelli’s is his specific training in corneal refractive eye surgery. Cutarelli Vision has help corrected the vision of over 100,000 patients and changed the quality of their lives
Dr. Paul Cutarelli provides reviews written by actual LASIK patients. Dr. Paul Cutarelli performs LASIK in his practice located in Fort Collins, Colorado and is one of the world’s most experienced surgeon. He has many satisfied patients who wrote reviews and testimonials to Dr. Paul Cutarelli to express their gratitude. Dr. Cutarelli’s patients have no complaints regarding the LASIK procedure. Please click here to read more Dr. Paul Cutarelli reviews.
Cutarelli LASIK Center offers information about one of the best LASIK surgeons in Fort Collins Colorado. Dr. Paul Cutarelli is one of the most experienced LASIK surgeons in the world with over 60,000 LASIK procedures performed. Please contact us to see if you are a candidate for LASIK surgery.
Fort Collins was founded as a military outpost of the United States Army in 1864. It succeeded a previous encampment, known as Camp Collins, on the Cache La Poudre River, near present-day Laporte. Camp Collins was erected during the Indian wars of the mid-1860s to protect the Overland mail route that had been recently relocated through the region. Travelers crossing the county on the Overland Trail would camp there, but a flood destroyed the camp in June 1864. Afterward, the commander of the fort wrote to the commandant of Fort Laramie in southeast Wyoming, Colonel William O. Collins, suggesting that a site several miles further down the Poudre would make a good location for the fort. The post was manned originally by two companies of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and never had walls.
Cutarelli Vision Denver LASIK
7887 East Belleview Avenue, Suite 180
Denver, Colorado 80111
303-486-2020
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Jan
Laser eye surgery, or its various methods such as “LASIK,” “PRK,” or “Intralase” have become a topic of much debate. For every proponent of the procedure, there are others with rampant on-line campaigns to dissuade, frighten people, or even outlaw laser surgery. It can be a bit baffling deciding between the different kinds of refractive surgery, and naturally the LASIK consultant will want to sell you the most expensive treatments (they are a business, after all). However, when talking about something as important as your eyes, I really believe you should opt for the best LASIK technique available in Morristown, New Jersey. Laser corrective eye surgery has a few different methods; LASIK, LASEK, PRK and Intralase are amongst the most common. These mainly define the way they operate on the eye. The next step is choosing how your vision will be treated. I chose a “custom wavefort,” which corrects the eye at three different points, rather than just blanket-treating the eye as one prescription. LASIK’s most common technique works by using a small blade to cut a round disc of the front of the eye away, treating the cornea, and replacing the flap to heal. If using a blade on your eye doesn’t sound too appealing, choose the newer bladeless method by “Intralase.” Intralase is done entirely with lasers, which alleviates using a blade, resulting in a much thinner and accurate incision that heals faster and is less severe on the eye.
The important thing is to remember the decision to have LASIK is up to you, so hunt out the facts amongst the scare stories and rare horror cases you will hear about. The fact is, LASIK is a very safe procedure these days with millions of LASIK success stories, and you can further improve your chances by choosing a reputable Morristown LASIK surgeon, technique, and company with a good reputation. Never believe the “LASIK for $300!” advertisements you read in Morristown, New Jersey. If you care about your eyes, and want the best results, custom waveforts and Intralase are more expensive. Compared to the cost of a lifetime of glasses and frames, it works out cheaper in the long-run. The majority of people have zero problems during or after LASIK surgery. LASIK Clinics.
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Dec
LASIK surgeon has invested in leading-edge technology to offer every Denver LASIK patient Blade Free LASIK. This procedure uses the IntraLase femtosecond laser for LASIK in Denver, Colorado and the advanced Allegretto Wave excimer laser. At his state-of-the-art Denver LASIK center, Top lasik surgeon has helped hundreds of Denver laser vision surgery patients. In addition to serving Denver LASIK patients, Top lasik surgeon also helps patients throughout the Denver and Austin, Colorado areas.
Top lasik surgeon Institute is a leading eye care facility serving Denver, specializing in Blade Free LASIK, utilizing the IntraLase laser and the Wavelight Excimer Laser.
LASIK Eye Surgery pioneer Top lasik surgeon is a Denver, Colorado eye doctor who is a specialist in vision correction. Top lasik surgeon has extensive experience and has performed LASIK and other types of refractive surgery on more than 25,000 patients from Denver and around the world.
LASIK Denver –
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Lasik Orange County –
Eye Center Arizona –
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LASIK surgeon has invested in leading-edge technology to offer every Denver LASIK patient Blade Free LASIK. This procedure uses the IntraLase femtosecond laser for LASIK in Denver, Colorado and the advanced Allegretto Wave excimer laser. At his state-of-the-art Denver LASIK center, Top lasik surgeon has helped hundreds of Denver laser vision surgery patients. In addition to serving Denver LASIK patients, Top lasik surgeon also helps patients throughout the Denver and Austin, Colorado areas.
Top lasik surgeon Institute is a leading eye care facility serving Denver, Austin, Katy, Belleview, Liberty and Cleveland, Colorado, specializing in Blade Free LASIK, utilizing the IntraLase laser and the Wavelight Excimer Laser.
LASIK Eye Surgery pioneer Top lasik surgeon is a Denver, Colorado eye doctor who is a specialist in vision correction. Top lasik surgeon has extensive experience and has performed LASIK and other types of refractive surgery on more than 25,000 patients from Denver and around the world.
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Nov
Jack Holladay MD – LASIK Surgeon in Houston, Texas
Laser Vision Correction is one of the most exciting procedures we offer our patients who suffer from nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. If you, or someone you know, depends on glasses or contacts in order to see clearly, consider LASIK in Houston with Dr. Holladay. Houston’s premier LASEK surgery center offering affordable no cut, no flap LASEK, LASIK, IntraLase, i-LASIK, CK. LASIK New Jersey The Most Advanced Bladeless-All Laser Lasik- Technology Available Dr. Holladay is the first doctor in Houston to utilize the most advanced bladeless, all-laser, LASIK system. LASIK Denver This femtosecond technology is the fastest and most accurate bladeless technology available. LASIK Texas
Dr. Holladay is committed to providing his patients the most advanced laser technology to achieve the best outcomes after LASIK. LASIK Dallas Dr. Jack Holladay is now using the FDA approved IntraLase-FS laser to create BLADE-FREE LASIK flaps when performing LASIK surgery. LASIK San Antonio Traditionally, the LASIK flap was created using a microkeratome with a blade. LASIK Austin Although complications during LASIK are relatively rare, when they do occur the microkeratome portion of the procedure is often the source of the problem. This new BLADE-FREE LASIK procedure is more PRECISE and SAFER than ever before.
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