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From
Kitsapsun.com, a report on lasik surgery:
Worldwide, an estimated 15 million people to date have undergone laser
surgery to correct their vision, according to Market Scope LLC, a Missouri
company that researches ophthalmic surgical markets.
Kitsap County ophthalmologist Dr. Paul Kremer alone has performed about
5,000 such surgeries since introducing the procedures to this region
a decade ago. The rising number of people with happy tales of throwing
away their glasses or contact lenses after laser eye surgery brings
still more to the operating table. "I had been contemplating this probably
for the last two years, but was a little bit of a chicken," said Tidball,
a 44-year-old financial adviser in Poulsbo. "As I heard more and more
success stories, I decided to go ahead."
Along with success stories, the increasing number of procedures brings
tales of failure, disappointment and — in rare instances — catastrophe.
For although laser vision-correction surgery no longer is brand new,
its history is but a blink of an eye in the annals of eye surgery.
The first corneal transplant, for example, was performed in 1905, according
to Dr. Tueng Shen, director of the University of Washington Refractive
Surgery Center; the first reported successful lens implant for cataracts,
1947. Laser vision correction became widely available only about 10
years ago, and continues to be refined and adjusted.
Here's
a Dec. 28, 2007 report on lasik surgery:
FRIDAY, Dec. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Laser surgery effectively and safely
corrects severe myopia for at least a decade, new research suggests.
People with myopia, which is caused by excessive curving of the eye's
lens or cornea, are commonly referred to as nearsighted. According to
the American Optometric Association, almost one in three Americans suffers
from some degree of nearsightedness.
Laser surgery has been used to correct myopia since the early 1990s,
although the long-term effects of the surgeries have not been documented.
Writing in the January issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology,
researchers from the Miguel Hernandez University in Alicante, Spain,
and the Ankara University School of Medicine in Turkey described the
results of a 10-year study of 196 myopic eyes that received LASIK surgery.
The researchers gathered data from 118 patients, who originally needed
10 diopter corrections to achieve 20/20 vision. A diopter is a measure
of the curve of a lens, and a 10-diopter correction indicates severe
nearsightedness. The patients were evaluated 10 years after their surgeries.
After treatment, most patients showed at least some vision improvement,
with 40 percent avoiding the use of glasses completely. After a decade,
61 percent of eyes operated on were within two diopters. Only 1 percent
of eyes developed corneal ectasia, a weakening of the cornea that is
a possible side effect of LASIK surgery. Almost one in three (27 percent)
patients had to be retreated during the 10 years, the researchers said.
"This study has allowed us to demonstrate that, in spite of the prejudices
about the limits of LASIK technique, the results regarding predictability,
efficacy and safety for high myopic patients are very good in the long
term," lead investigator Jorge L. Ali said in a prepared statement.
From CBS3:
In health, are you tired of wearing glasses or contacts? LASIK surgery
is not your only option. Medical Reporter Stephanie Stahl has details
on a new way to see clearly. Kathy Welsch loves spending time reading
to her kids. It's easier than ever now that she's seeing clearly. "I
can see everything better than perfect," said Kathy. Not long ago, that
wasn't the case. Like millions of people, Kathy needed glasses or contacts
to see anything at all. She has not seen on her own since 4th grade.
After years of thinking about it, she decided to undergo vision correction
surgery. She planned to get LASIK but wasn't a candidate because her
corneas were too thin. So she turned to a new alternative, a lens that's
implanted into her eye.
Lasik
surgery is big business. Here's a press release:
Fast Track Marketing implements LASIK Workshops that gives a LASIK
practice the insight and skills to do their own successful marketing.
Boulder, Colorado (PRWEB) December 20, 2007 -- Fast Track Marketing
implements LASIK Workshops that gives a LASIK practice the insight and
skills to do their own successful marketing.
Doug Sims, President and CEO of Fast Track Marketing, states, "LASIK
Marketing and advertising has changed in the past two years. There are
new rules in place that, if used, can make the difference in expansion
and profitability. And there are reasons why the old rules don't work
for this size of business."
Doug Sims further states, "The technology that you will learn in this
marketing workshop has been used successfully in practices across the
country resulting in new patient leads up by at least 500 percent while
advertising costs being decreased by 50 percent in the first 6 months,
in some cases. Many marketing and advertising firms do not want these
facts known or used; otherwise, they would see their profits walking
out the door. The test of any successful marketing campaign is not the
money or commission a firm makes but the increase in business for their
client." A LASIK practice can now learn and implement these methods
themselves. It takes hard work and a willingness to learn, plus two
days of time. Even in a difficult economy the principles work. The result
of implementing the tools and techniques learned in this workshop is
increased LASIK procedures and higher profits.
Here are some of the topics Fast Track LASIK conferences cover:
* How to gear Marketing for a LASIK practice and not a Fortune 500
Company
* Learn how to write effective print ads, direct mail pieces, radio
ads, etc.
* How to determine your ad budgets and tracking system that will fuel
growth over time with what specific results to track to do so
* Identify the "Two Kinds of Prospects" and why you need to approach
each one differently
* Learn how to develop and implement effective follow-up systems
Conferences are delivered around the country in major cities on a regular
basis. They are not a sit back and snooze affair. They are "roll up
your sleeves, get involved, hands on" workshops. For more information
visit our website at: http://www.lasikconferences.com
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