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When the eye is unable to focus light properly on the retina and blurred vision occurs, it is medically said that there is a refractive error. Myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism are clear examples and, to correct them and improve eyesight, the surgery called LASIK is one of the most used methods.
The National Eye Institute (NEI) of the United States explains that more than 150 million Americans have a refractive error and many of them do not know it.
Now, a new technique that was discovered completely by mistake could eventually replace this laser surgery, and the details were presented at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society.
What LASIK surgery is and what it consists of
The NEI explains that LASIK surgery is the most common type for correcting refractive errors.
During the procedure, a laser is used to shape the cornea and make vision clearer. It is usually used for adults with myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism, not for presbyopia.
“For LASIK to work properly, your vision must remain stable (that is, the prescription for your glasses or contact lenses stays the same over time),” it is explained. This is why many young people must “wait” to have surgery.
The new method that experts discovered by accident and could help correct vision
The technique is called electromechanical reshaping (EMR) and was presented as a gentler approach to shaping the cornea compared with LASIK surgery, whose procedure reduces corneal strength and carries the risks of a surgical procedure.
This new method was discovered accidentally by Brian Wong, a surgeon-engineer at the University of California, Irvine, who, while working on techniques to shape cartilage tissue, noticed that cartilage could change shape when electricity was applied to it.
The scientist teamed up with Michael Hill, a chemist at Occidental College, and they delved deeper into the effects this technique could have on different tissues.
What the new technique scientists are working on is like
The process, in simplified form, can be explained as follows
- Small electrical pulses are applied to the cornea, generating a chemical reaction
- The electricity temporarily alters its pH
- This change affects collagen and makes the cornea much more moldable, temporarily
- At that point, a mold, similar to a contact lens, is placed with the curvature that is desired
- To finish, the pulses are stopped and the cornea’s pH returns to normal, so the tissue adopts the new shape
On January 12, 2023, the scientists published a paper in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering in which rabbit eyes were used to show that the cornea could be shaped without loss of optical transparency.
Hill says this was published to ask whether the method was really possible and, after more than two years of work, he says that the parameters were reviewed and that the technique can be carried out.
Wong, for his part, says this method may be cheaper than surgery because it does not depend on laser machinery. However, experts say there is still a long way to go before their finding can be implemented to correct the vision of human beings.