The Book
Historical Perspective
Vision Correction From a Historical Perspective
| Year | Event |
| 1268 | First recorded comments on eyeglasses by Englishman Roger Bacon |
| 1784 | Benjamin Franklin (USA) invents bifocals |
| 1827 | English astronomer Frederick Herschel invents hard contact lenses |
| 1885 | Dr. Schiotz of Norway performs the first surgery to correct astigmatism |
| 1940's | Dr. Sato begins performing RK and AK in Japan |
| 1961 | Dr. Barraquer in South America begins performing keratomileusis, an early precursor to LASIK |
| 1962 | Otto Wichterie invents soft contact lenses in Czechoslovakia |
| 1970's | Dr. Fyodorov modernizes RK/AK in Russia |
| 1978 | Dr. Bores introduces RK/AK in the United States |
| 1983 | Dr. Trokel (USA) describes the use of the excimer laser for vision correction surgery |
| 1985 | Dr. Seiler (Germany) performs the first excimer laser treatment for astigmatism |
| 1995-98 | The United States FDA approves use of the excimer laser for treating nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. |
| 2003 | VISX, Inc. receives FDA approval for CustomVue, the first wavefront guided laser treatment for nearsightedness and astigmatism |
The surgical correction of vision deficiencies, such as nearsightedness
and astigmatism, started in the 1880's, when crude incisions were used
to reduce warpage of the cornea (astigmatic keratotomy). These techniques
were advanced in the 1940's, as Dr. Sato invented RK in Japan.
In the 1960's, Columbian surgeon Jose Barraquer, M.D. began using
flap techniques and cryo-lathing (keratomileusis) to reshape the cornea. And, in the 1970's, Dr.Fyodorov started a renaissance in vision correction surgery in Russia by modernizing radial keratotomy (RK). His success raised awareness of the growing
effectiveness of these procedures, which, along with technological
breakthroughs in laser systems, opened the door to modern-day procedures
such as LASIK, LASEK and PRK.
With the recent approval (May 23, 2003) of the CustomVue wavefront guided laser system, a new era of vision correction surgery is underway. Now, for the first time, there is a realistic possibility that many
patients will see even better than they did with glasses or contact lenses.
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