Posted on: 04/17/19

Lasik Surgery

One of the most common questions asked by patients considering LASIK is “how long has LASIK
been around?” At the core of this question, the patient is wondering about the long-term visual
prognosis and if the procedure is well established.

The concept of reshaping the cornea to treat refractive error was first dreamt of by Jose Ignacio
Barraquer Moner in 1948. The excimer laser was first developed in 1980 by Rangaswamy
Srinivasan and was initially used in the production of computer microchips. In 1985, the excimer
laser was first tested on living tissue, proving its effectiveness without inflicting thermal damage.
In 1988, Texas A&M University graduate, Charles Munnerlyn developed a formula that determined
the amount of corneal tissue that needed to be ablated in order to correct given prescriptions. This
led to the first laser surgery (PRK) being performed in 1988, which was successful.

Laser vision correction was approved in Canada in 1991 and the United States in 1995. Since then,
more technologically advanced lasers have been developed and the surgical technique has been
perfected. LASIK surgery, developed by Ioannis G. Pallikaris and improved upon by Guillermo
Avalos and Ricardo Guimar, was approved in the United States in 1999. LASIK offered much
quicker healing time and instantaneously better vision. Since its creation, LASIK has had the
highest success rate and patient satisfaction of any elective procedure.

The history of laser vision correction is well established and has led to millions of people seeing
well without glasses or contact lenses!

Cutarelli Vision believes in having the most up-to-date and technologically advanced excimer laser
technology, including both wavefront-guided and topography-guided excimer lasers. Dr. Cutarelli
has been performing LASIK surgery since its creation and is the most experienced LASIK surgeon
in Colorado!

If you are interested in seeing well without glasses or contact lenses, schedule your FREE LASIK
consultation today! Call us at 303-486-2020 today!