Alcon Inc announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its customized wavefront-guided laser eye surgery application. Alcon is the first company to receive FDA approval for customized LASIK surgery using a wavefront measurement device and an excimer laser.

Utilizing the LADARVision 4000 excimer laser and the LADARWave wavefront measuring device, Alcon brings an integrated system approach to customized laser eye surgery. High and low order aberrations unique to each patient's eye are captured by the LADARWave aberrometer. This information is then transferred to the LADARVision 4000 laser, where it is electronically registered and computer matched to create the precision ablation required in customized laser eye surgery.

"Wavefront-guided customized laser surgery has the potential to improve visual acuity and enhance overall vision quality as compared to today's conventional LASIK. Treating optical aberrations, which impact low-contrast visual activities such as night driving, will improve the patient's quality of vision," said Dr. Steven Brint, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Tulane University School of Medicine and one of the five surgeons participating in the clinical investigations.

Clinical trials are ongoing for the treatment of myopic astigmatism, hyperopia with and without astigmatism and other ocular irregularities.

"The ophthalmic community has eagerly anticipated this technology," said Bill Barton, VP and General Manager, Surgical Division. "We are proud to be the first in the industry to offer an approach that provides surgeons the ability to control the visual effects of higher order aberrations."