Corneoplasty Now Uses Eye Drop Advanced Corneal Systems has developed the next best alternative to LASIK -- Corneaplasty, a non-surgical procedure that changes the shape of the cornea in a three-step process using modern ortho-k lenses as corneal molds, in conjunction with certain enzymes to prepare and final-set the cornea. First the cornea is prepared by applying a proprietary concentration of hyaluronidase, which absorbs into the cornea, making it softer and more malleable. Then the prepared cornea is molded into the desired shape with custom-fitted accelerated orthokeratology contact lenses, which the patient wears during the treatment period. Finally, a proprietary cross-linking agent "fixative" drop is administered to "set" the cornea in its optimum shape. Currently pharmaceutical giant Sandoz is helping Advanced Corneal Systems through FDA clinicals. Advanced Corneal Systems expects approval of its non-surgical, reversible procedure within one to two years.
Very interesting. I believe this may be a bit dated. To my knowledge, ACS no longer exists and corneaplasty, although good in concept, has not proven itself to be predictable, reliable, and safe in its current form. Glenn Hagele Executive Director Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance http://www.USAeyes.org http://www.ComplicatedEyes.org glenn dot hagele at usaeyes dot org I am not a doctor.
This is a "holy grail" of sorts, except that more clinical trials are needed. I think that this process is not moving forward at the moment, for whatever reason. Perhaps somebody can correct me. DrG
it actually is new news My optomotrist said that to mold they shape of the eye they had to inject something. But now they only have to use eye drops to set the mold. Which the heading says. Corneoplasty is an old concept though, just the eye drops to set the mold rather than injection is the new part.
"Wouldn't it be nice?" "crippler's" news is old news. Advanced Corneal Systems, the name at least, hasn't been around for over three years. The "news report" he transcribed is therefore at least that old. The info I have, which is three weeks old, is that Corneaplasty USA phase II trials were not completed, or at least the results not compiled and submitted to the FDA and phase III trials didn't get off the ground---at least not yet, mostly due to financial issues with the company. Ista Pharmaceutical's Vitrase, another hyaluronidase product, is nearing approval and just months from marketting. Some docs I know don't think this is going to be a highly useful treatment. A good treatment, but not good enough and useful enough to get excited about. But there are other uses from this product, corneaplasty being one. So it is by no means a dead product, though. If the "unofficial" results seen in outside the USA trials are real, Corneaplasty will someday, perhaps sooner than we think, be here. If everything goes perfectly, that would make availabilty in about two years, at least in the USA. And if it does come to market, it's pretty much by-by LASIK, if for no other reason than the market for myopes under 6 diopters (approx) will disappear like pooooff! The "drug" is also being developed as a treatment for keratconus and cornea scars. You might think that a treatment with so much public benefit and industry profitability would be fast-tracked for approval with hordes of investors propelling it. But that is not happenning and I don't have any idea why. I tend to be suspicious of stuff like this--------- --Larry (Information presented is based on what I know, or at least have good reason to believe as factual, plus my opinion as indicated. I have no personal financial interest, as of this writing, in any company, product or process mentioned.) -- Dr. Larry Bickford, O.D. Family Practice Eye Health & Vision Care The Eyecare Connection http//www.eyecarecontacts.com larrydoc at m a c.c o m
"Wouldn't it be nice?" "crippler's" news is old news. Advanced Corneal Systems, the name at least, hasn't been around for over three years. The "news report" he transcribed is therefore at least that old. The info I have, which is three weeks old, is that Corneaplasty USA phase II trials were not completed, or at least the results not compiled and submitted to the FDA and phase III trials didn't get off the ground---at least not yet, mostly due to financial issues with the company. Ista Pharmaceutical's Vitrase, another hyaluronidase product, is nearing approval and just months from marketting. Some docs I know don't think this is going to be a highly useful treatment. A good treatment, but not good enough and useful enough to get excited about. But there are other uses from this product, corneaplasty being one. So it is by no means a dead product, though. If the "unofficial" results seen in outside the USA trials are real, Corneaplasty will someday, perhaps sooner than we think, be here. If everything goes perfectly, that would make availabilty in about two years, at least in the USA. And if it does come to market, it's pretty much by-by LASIK, if for no other reason than the market for myopes under 6 diopters (approx) will disappear like pooooff! The "drug" is also being developed as a treatment for keratconus and cornea scars. You might think that a treatment with so much public benefit and industry profitability would be fast-tracked for approval with hordes of investors propelling it. But that is not happenning and I don't have any knowlege why. Perhaps it either doesn't work well enough, consistent enough, or there's a health issue. --Larry (Information presented is based on what I know, or at least have good reason to believe as factual, plus my opinion as indicated. I have no personal financial interest, as of this writing, in any company, product or process mentioned.) -- Dr. Larry Bickford, O.D. Family Practice Eye Health & Vision Care The Eyecare Connection http//www.eyecarecontacts.com larrydoc at m a c.c o m
