CRS-Master

December 2005 witnessed the launch of Carl Zeiss Meditec's latest model for customized refractive surgery; the CRS-Master 2.1. Equipped with a new wave of design enhancements, topography-guided therapy has now been added as a new functionality mode to the system.

Features included within the new system include:

Traditionally, the treatment approach to corneal irregular astigmatism was simple: patients would either be treated with rigid gas permeable contact lenses, in those intolerant to the lenses, corneal transplantation, or nothing at all. As a result, there was an obvious gap for innovation in the treatment of this condition.

Dr Hjortdal tested topography-based excimer laser ablation of the cornea with the CRS-Master in 16 eyes of 16 patients. Of the patients selected for treatment, four presented with opacities after keratitis, five patients had keratoconus, four patients had received a previous corneal graft and three of the treatments were secondary to refractive surgery.

The following treatments were performed: 12 PRK, three re-LASIK and one LASIK.

Postoperatively, Hjortdal found eyes with opacities and irregularities after keratitis or trauma to benefit most from the treatment, whilst none of the patients treated opted for corneal grafting after the procedure.

Jesper Hjortdal, MD works at Århus University Hospital in Århus, Denmark. He may be contacted by E-mail: jehjo@as.aaa.dk