Norden Laser Vision Associates is First in NJ to Offer
'No Touch' LTK Procedure for Farsightedness;
New 'No Touch' Procedure Touted as Safer, Faster, and Easier to Perform
RIDGEWOOD, N.J., Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Ridgewood's Norden Laser Vision Associates is the State's first and among only a handful of ophthalmology practices in the Northeast to offer the recently approved HYPERION LTK(TM) procedure to
treat the estimated 40 millions Americans with hyperopia (farsightedness). Unlike other refractive eye procedures including Excimer Laser surgery, this three-second ``no touch'' procedure involves no cutting or removal of the corneal tissue.
The HYPERION LTK(TM) system - approved by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 30, 2000 -- gently heats tissue outside the center of the cornea, thereby causing it to steepen and reduce hyperopia. The system, developed by
Sunrise Technologies (Nasdaq: SNRS - news) of Fremont CA, is used for the reduction of hyperopia with +0.75 to +2.50
diopters of hyperopia. The HYPERION LTK(TM) procedure is currently in use in Europe, South Africa, Canada, Central
America and South America.
``The HYPERION LTK(TM) system represents a major milestone in the evolution of refractive eye surgery,'' said Richard
Norden, MD, FACS, director of Norden Laser Vision Associates and a diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology and president of The Cornea and Keratorefractive Society of New Jersey. ``For the 40 million American 40-year-olds and over with hyperopia, LTK will supplant all other options as the procedure of choice. Unlike other refractive procedures
including LASIK, PRK and RK, with the in-office LTK procedure, patients remain upright in a sitting position.''
According to Norden, the LTK is priced comparable to other laser refractive procedures.
Safety data from the United States clinical trials reported no sight-threatening complications and no laser-related adverse events in more than 600 eyes treated by the study. ``The procedure is so safe and virtually pain free,'' said Norden, `` both eyes can be treated on the same day.''
In U.S. clinical trials of the HYPERION LTK(TM) procedure, patients generally have improved vision immediately after the procedure and most patients can return to work and resume their regular activity the next day after treatment.
The HYPERION LTK(TM) procedure uses laser energy to gently reshape the cornea without touching the eye. It differs from
currently available procedures because no scalpel incisions or laser ablations are used to cut or remove corneal tissue, and it differs from intracorneal ring and intraocular lens procedures because no objects are inserted into the eye.
Instead, a holmium: YAG laser utilizing a patented process for shrinking collagen applies two concentric rings of eight
simultaneous spots of laser energy to the periphery of the cornea (not the visually important center of the cornea that you see through) to gently heat the corneal collagen and steepen its shape, thereby improving the cornea' s refractive (focusing) power. Because no tissue is cut and the eye is not touched by any instruments, the possibility of intra-operative complications, postoperative infections, or risk of healing irregularity that may affect vision is minimized.
In U.S. clinical trials of the HYPERION LTK(TM) Procedure, patients generally had improved vision immediately after the
procedure, and most people were able to return to work and resume their regular activities the next day after treatment. Topical anesthetic eye drops were used prior to the procedure and patient complaints of post-operative pain or discomfort were usually minimal, lasting about 24 hours or less. When required, over-the-counter analgesics were prescribed, and were typically discontinued within one to two days.
Farsightedness is the most common refractive error, with about 77 million total farsighted Americans. An independent research study known as The Baltimore Eye Study/1 (conducted by investigators from Johns Hopkins University and supported by grants from the National Institute of Health), revealed that the number of Americans over age 40 with hyperopia is nearly twice as large as those with myopia. In fact, the Study projected that by the Year 2000, there would be 118 million Americans over the age of 40 -- and about 60 million of them (or 52 percent) would be hyperopic. About 62 percent, or approximately 40 million, of these hyperopes were expected to be low to moderately farsighted in the range of +0.75 to +2.50 diopters, the initial
approved indication for use of the HYPERION LTK(TM) Procedure.
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