Eye opener: Revolutionary laser eye surgery is giving vision-impaired Hong Kongers a fresh view of the world, writes Florence Ng I-ching.
The technique, developed by Bausch & Lomb, is known as Zyoptix and was pioneered for those unable to wear contact lenses. And results have been encouraging since it was made available in Europe earlier this year.
Zyoptix provides personalised vision correction using LASIK (laser in situ kertomileusis) surgery.
Uneven corneas and subtle visual problems can be detected and surgeons believe more eyesight sufferers could benefit from the breakthrough. 'Nearly 80 per cent of my patients came for Zyoptix because they have severe sight problems and cannot wear contact lenses,' says Dr John Chang of the Hong Kong Sanatorium Hospital, where 329 individual eyes have been operated on since February. 'By using LASIK, the area of the cornea that can be operated on has increased. It effectively reduces night-vision disturbances [when the pupil dilates in dim light],' says Dr Shiu Chi-yuen of the Hong Kong Laser Eye Centre.
Four of the nine LASIK machines in Hong Kong have been upgraded with Zyoptix, but the operation is not cheap at around $9,000 per eye.
Snore solution: A simple injection in the back of the mouth may be able to silence problem snorers, according to new research from the United States.