OREM — Calleen Condie had an appointment three weeks ago for corrective laser eye surgery on both eyes.
She then heard about a new tracking device that guaranteed pinpoint accuracy and decided to hold off until it became available.
Gayle Broadbent-Ferris did the same.
"I made my decision based on this being available," Broadbent-Ferris said, as she waited at the Cataract and Lasik Center for Utah in Orem's Cherry Tree Professional Plaza for her turn to go in for surgery on her eyes. "It made a huge difference in my decision."
Both women were worried about something most potential eye patients stress over: What if I move my eye during the procedure? Will it mess up the results?
Dr. Jay D. Clark, director of the Lasik Center, says patients aren't the only ones worrying about sudden shifts in movement or position.
Doctors worry, too.
If a patient moves, even a fraction, it can affect the success of the surgery — leaving a patient with blurring, a halo and/or glare. Because there is a considerable possibility that a patient may move, especially if the procedure goes for more than a few seconds, doctors have used suction rings to hold the eye still.
"Even with that, the eye can move so fast, it's a concern," Clark said. "This machine takes images 60 times per second and readjusts the beam accordingly."
The new machine, a Star S3 ActiveTrak infrared 3-D tracker made by VISX and recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, is a sort of fail-safe device.
It works by focusing two cameras on the eye's movement and fixing the center point to within 99.4 percent accuracy between laser pulses.
"It's always on center within a millimeter and a half, and if it can't be, if the eye moves too far for it to center, it shuts off," Clark said. "It's also three-dimensional so it tracks the eye if a patient moves side to side, if he or she pulls back or pushes forward."
Using the tracker also eliminates the need to dilate a patient's eyes prior to surgery. They can enjoy their new eyesight immediately.
The Lasik Center started using the tracker Thursday and is now offering the tracking device as part of its standard service.
"There is a two-dimensional autonomous radar machine available, but the disadvantage there is that the laser continues to fire no matter what the movement," Clark said.
The Star S3 Active Trak makes it much more feasible to treat patients like Condie who has advanced farsightedness in her eyes.
Her laser surgery required that the laser be firing for 73 seconds, a long time in the eye surgery business.
Most procedures take only between 30-45 seconds on the average.
"This makes it possible to expand our applications to farsighted patients and to patients with astigmatism," Clark said. "And it greatly reduces the fears of the patient."
Still, Condie was handed a stuffed monkey to hug during her surgery, just for tangible comfort.
"Our logo is, 'New technology, old-fashioned care,' " said Nancy Lilya, public relations spokesman for the center.
To reach the center, call 224-6767.
E-MAIL: haddoc@desnews.com