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Summer
2002, vol. 44, No. 1/2 |
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| ________________ From left: Mr. John Rhoder, Dr. Baha' Noureddine and Dr. Johnny Khoury at the June 11 press conference |
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| New Laser CorrectCommon Vision Problems | ||||
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On June 11 a press conference introduced the Laser Vision Correction Center
(LASIK) at AUBMC. Among those present were AUBMC Director Mr. John Rhoder,
Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology Dr. Baha' Noureddine, and Director
of the Refractive Surgery Division, Dr. Johnny Khoury The new excimer laser not only corrects sight-refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism) but also provides wide-area ablations that minimize the chances of halos and glare. "Our hospital has acquired a state-of-the-art excimer," Johnny Khoury said. "I've been working on different machines since 1994, but with this excimer. . .precision is maximized." The "latest-generation" machine is also equipped with an eye tracker that enables the team at AUBMC --the first hospital in the region to offer laser correction for refractive sight error-- to precisely treat eyes regardless of their movement during the operation. With a cost between $800 and $1,200, Khoury said the operation should be affordable to most people who want to correct their eyesight. But the excimer is not a solution for all sight errors. "In some cases, we will dismiss patients with eyesight that we think cannot be treated," explained Dr. Baha Noureddine. "The focal point of our work is dealing with |
the cornea," Noureddine said. The excimer can treat myopia, or nearsightedness,
for instance, by dissolving the tissue in the center of the cornea, thereby
flattening it so light rays are focused directly on the retina instead of
in front of it. For hyperopia, or farsightedness, the laser dissolves tissue around the outside of the cornea to make it steeper, reversing the process so light rays are directly focused on the retina instead of behind it. "Even (for) those patients who have astigmatism, the new machine can dissolve the tissue where the cornea is uneven so that light rays are not distorted," Khoury said. He dismissed concerns about side effects, saying laser surgery was an easy operation lasting no longer than a few seconds per eye. "Most patients are able to return to their normal activities on the day following the operation," he said. For many people, contact lenses may cause irritation or allergic reactions. "That is when correction of sight become a necessity," Khoury said. He also said staying in Lebanon for eye surgery was a better option than traveling abroad, as was necessary in some cases before the introduction of the new excimer. ". . .we are better than 95 percent of the centers in the United States," he said, citing the working environment at the medical center and the expertise his team has accumulated over the years. |
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These pages are subjected to AUB's
General disclaimer
and copyrights - The AUB Bulletin is the official news publication of the American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon. - It is published monthly by the Office of Information and Public Relations, Diana Sabbagh Building, Room 111. Tel.: 01-353228, Fax: 01-363234 or AUB extension: 2670/1, e-mail: ifkhoury@aub.edu.lb or information@aub.edu.lb - Responsible Editor, Dirctor of Information and Public Relations: Ibrahim Khoury - Deputy Editor and Layout Designer: Henry Matthews - Advisor Nabeel G. Ashkar - Associate Editor: Elain Larwood - Web Design: iMAD Zeineddine — e-mail: imadsz@hotmail.com |