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Following initial reports by Drs. Stephen L. Trokel and R. Srinivasan in 1983 that the laser could reshape the cornea without collateral thermal damage, animal experiments were pursued by Drs. Marguerite B. McDonald, Trokel and Theo Seiler. Early lasers were designed to perform slits in the cornea to simulate incisional surgery, but this was soon abandoned. After the introduction of the Munnerlyn formula, the concept of sculpting the cornea, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), was introduced. This was followed by primate experiments and then human clinical trials, ultimately gaining FDA approval of PRK for use on human eyes in 1995. LASIK soon became the dominant procedure, and wavefront technology and aspheric ablations led to customized treatments designed to minimize the side effects of the procedure. Videokeratography, femtosecond flap creation, advances in wavefront technology and the Journal of Refractive Surgery also played a role in advancing the field resulting in its widespread worldwide acceptance today.

The history of the development of these advances and the role of the pioneers who contributed are highlighted in this video which is now an integral part of ISRS/AAO history.

Produced by:
Yaron S. Rabinowitz, MD

Associate Editors:
Perry Binder, MD, James Salz, MD, Ronald Krueger, MD, and George Waring III, MD

Supported by:
The Eye Defects Research Foundation, Alcon Foundation, Advanced Medical Optics, Nidek Corporation and Addition Technologies