2nd Sursee Eye Surgery Meeting

The attendees of the seminar
in the Hotel National in Lucerne.

Dr. U. Thomann, (Willisau)

Welcomed the over 70 attendees of the meeting and emphasized the objective of the meeting:

"Defining the actual state of the art in refractive surgery.".

Dr. Michael C. Knorz (Mannheim)

Gave an overview over the laser techniques currently applied: LASIK as the method of choice is still a strong and rapidly growing procedure (400 000 procedures per year in the U.S.). The fact that ... biological variations in the human eye are as high as 40% drives the development of the Laser techniques from todays standard... techniques to tomorrows customized interventions. The future of this is in the making.

Dr. Tobias H. Neuhann(Munich)

reported on the reliability and safety of IOL's. Due to the high predictability patient satisfaction is very high as well. In one presented study typically only three lens induced cataracts were monitored in a total of 150 patients.

Prof. J.L. Güell, (Barcelona)

Combined laser surgery and IOL's is the procedure of choice in severe myopia. The IOL correcting the abnormality whereas laser serves as the "fine tuning".

This combined method allows very precise and predictable results.

Dr. Fernando VAZ, Porto Gave

an overview over the currently used IOL's. Taking into consideration, that only skilled eye-surgeons should implant IOL's, the overview showed very favorable results for the ARTISAN iris claw lens manufactured by OPHTEC. This being a lens with a very good and long past performance(over 200 000 implants world-wide since 1978) which is safe and efficient.

Dr. Raimund Spirig (St. Gallen)

Focused on own experiences with the ARTISAN lens. His conclusion fits with earlier statements, but he very openly added: "The risk is not the lens, but the surgeon".

Dr. Marco E.M. Bianchetti (Sursee)

Chairman and organizer of the international meeting pointed out that IOL's have become more important and are considered to be a better alternative to Excimer Laser treatment, not only due to the very high predictability of the result, but mainly due to ist reversibility.