When and where was the first lazer eye surgery?!

When and where was the first lazer eye surgery?

I'm not sure what you are asking. Back in the 60-70's there was a German doctor who felt that the way to treat diabetics might be to use light to coagulate the retinal vessels. That these vessels grew as a result of retinal ischemia (lack of oxygen). He used some optics to set up on his roof, a solar coagulator. He'd treat the patients with a solar burn in different parts of the retina. No treatment on cloudy days. He found out that those patients did better.

Using his theories, Xenon bulbs were then used. In the late 70's we had these huge machines that were connected to a hand piece. We'd have to numb the eye, then open the shutter and burn different areas of the retina to coagulate those vessels.

Then argon tubes were used to generate an argon laser. Now diodes are used for different types of light.

As far as refractive lasers go, they started doing refractive work by cutting the cornea in radial slices, 95% of the corneal depth. That flattened the corena, and near sighted people were able to see better. Lots of complications, glare, bad night vision, and don't get hit in the eye....

In the 80's lasers were developed to evaporate the capsule of the lens instead of having to push a needle in to tear the capsule. These lasers are still used today.

An offshoot of that was to computer scan and laser the cornea. They'd make a flap, burn out a computerized amount of tissue, replace the flap, and the cornea was flatter, less nearsightedness...no glasses. The computer tracking was very important. They'll have two monitors. One is the monitor that shows the eye under the microscope in real time. It moves all over the place. And a LOT. You'd be surprised. No, you would be very surprised. These people think they're not moving at all. The next monitor is the one the laser is seeing. The eye in that monitor is being tracted by the computer, so that the laser follows the eye movement. That eye looks like it's perfectly still. No movement. And you can see the laser work in that monitor.

Now they have newer ones that work without making the flaps.

Complications?

How old do you want to be when we finish talking about THAT part?

Be very careful who you have do your laser. And ask several people in different cities which type would be best for YOU.

You'll find that in every city of the USA is the guy who has done more than anyone in the world, or is the first or is a pioneer in this or that procedure.

Get different opinions before you decide. I'm assuming you are asking about corneal lasers, but I put in the retina ones just in case you meant ANY eye lasers. it was quite ingenious up there on the roof.