On The Cutting Edge

Ophthalmic surgeons at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas are the first in the Defense Department to employ a state-of-the-art laser that will shorten recovery times for corneal transplantation. They are using a femtosecond laser to dissect human cornea tissue for cornea transplants or refractive surgery.

The laser produces a very short, intense pulse that gives surgeons a hyper-accurate way of cutting the cornea tissue. Ophthalmic surgeons can program the laser to make very specific shapes that act like a tread pattern on the tissue. The laser allows ophthalmic surgeons to design very specific interfaces between the donor tissue and the host. These specific cuts improve healing and the speed of recovery.

The normal recovery time for corneal transplantation patients is one year. The new procedure may cut recovery time down to six or seven months. The new technology will play a role in visual recovery of soldiers who suffered eye injuries with corneal scars and other problems in pathology.

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