Is the US looking for alternatives to LASIK?

Sales of the Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens; STAAR Surgical Company) grew 38% in the US over the previous year, while the rate of LASIK procedures declined by approximately 40% in the second quarter of last year.

The fall in the number of laser-based refractive procedures coincides with the investigation by the US Food and Drug Administration Ophthalmic Device panel into patient satisfaction and quality of life post-LASIK, widely (but falsely) reported by the media to be an investigation into the safety of LASIK procedures.

The Visian ICL's benefits over LASIK include its smaller required incision size, which reduces both ocular trauma and recovery time; additionally, although designed to be a permanent implant, the Visian ICL can be removed or replaced if necessary, unlike the irreversible LASIK procedure. In an FDA study, patients implanted with the Visian ICL reported satisfaction rates of >99% at five years.

STAAR Surgical's newly enhanced consumer website, www.visianinfo.com, launched officially on Monday July 14.