Non-invasive technique holds promise for permanently correcting myopia

Myopia, or near-sightedness, affects 70 to 90 per cent of teenagers and young adults in East Asia alone, and estimates suggest that 2.5 billion people around the world may be affected by the condition by 2020.

Now, Columbia Engineering researcher Sinisa Vukelic has developed a method that uses a femtosecond oscillator - an ultrafast laser that delivers pulses of very low energy - for selective and localised alteration of the biochemical and biomechanical properties of corneal tissue without causing cellular damage and tissue disruption. The study, which could also lead to treatment for hyperopia, astigmatism, and irregular astigmatism, has been published in Nature Photonics.

As well as being non-surgical, the technique is claimed to have fewer side effects and limitations than those seen in refractive surgeries for myopia. Although relatively successful, these surgeries - such as laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) - use ablative technology that can thin and in some cases weaken the cornea. Patients with thin corneas, dry eyes, and other abnormalities cannot undergo refractive surgery.