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History and Statistics about Laser Vision Correction

Statistics
(Source: Market Scope 2003) Why are you still wearing glasses? Visit Atlanta Lasik Center and rediscover your vision!

  • Number of refractive procedures performed world wide through March 2003: 11.9 million
  • Number of refractive procedures in the US through March 2003: 6.1 million
  • Estimated number of LASIK procedures in the US through March 2003: 5 million
  • Number of US surgeons in 2002 who performed refractive surgery: 4,100
  • Number of excimer lasers world wide December 2002: 4,500
  • Number of excimer laser US December 2002: 1,395
  • Number of procedures referred by an optometrist 2002: approximately 200,000

Milestones in Laser Vision Correction
(Sources: Alcon, Inc.; VISX, Inc.; and "Laser Vision Breakthrough" by S. Brint, D. Kennedy, & C. Kuypers-Denlinger)

Researchers have been exploring surgical techniques to treat refractive errors for more than a century. LASIK is the culmination of that work. Why are you still wearing glasses? Visit Atlanta Lasik Center and rediscover your vision!

  • 1975 - First excimer laser is produced. It is known for its precision and was used by IBM to etch circuits into computer chips
  • 1983 - Scientists explore use of excimer laser on corneal tissue. It was discovered that the excimer laser could remove corneal tissue without affecting the area outside of the target zone.
  • 1985 - German ophthalmologist uses excimer laser for first time on human eyes
  • 1988 - U.S. surgeon uses excimer laser to correct refractive error on a normal sighted eye during FDA clinical trials
  • 1990 - An Italian ophthalmologist combines the microkeratome and the excimer laser to create LASIK. He used a microkeratome to create a flap of corneal tissue and the laser to reshape the tissue of an inner layer of the cornea.
  • 1991 - First LASIK performed on a sighted eye for FDA clinical trials.
  • 1995 - FDA approves first excimer laser for use in refractive surgery.
  • 1999 - Millionth procedure completed in the United States.
  • 2001 - LASIK is the most common elective surgical procedure in the United States.
  • 2002 - FDA approves first customized wavefront-guided laser eye surgery application.
  • 2003 - Custom LASIK becomes widely available in the United States



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