Steven trokel

Dr.
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Ophthalmology was the first medical discipline to use lasers on a regular basis.

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Celebrating a pivotal moment in laser-vision correction history

Special to Ophthalmology Times®

I found myself fascinated by a 1983 paper by Steve Trokel, MD, in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, in which he used an industrial excimer laser to make patterns in cadaver animal eyes. I had done some research with Trokel while I was in medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, New York.

I contacted Trokel and told him that I would love to be involved. I knew that there were very limited facilities at Columbia for animal research; at Louisiana State University (LSU), I had access to a large vivarium, the Delta Primate Center in Covington, Louisiana.

It was owned and operated by Tulane University; LSU used it as well. So in 1984, Charles Munnerlyn, PhD, Trokel, and I began working together to develop laser-vision correction. Steve Klyce, PhD, a professor of ophthalmology at LSU, soon joined the team and became an important member.

Related: Improving LASIK outcomes with biomechanical analysis

So begins the jo

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History of LASIK

Since first become available on the market more than 25 years ago, the LASIK procedure has evolved to become one of the safest elective procedures available in modern medicine. Keep reading to learn more about the history of this life-changing procedure.

1948

Father Waclaw Szuniewicz, considered to be a pioneer in early refractive surgery, first experimented with the changing the shape of the cornea.

1964

Professor José I. Barraquer introduced a technique he coined keratomileusis (which means “sculptured cornea” in Greek). This procedure removes, reshapes and finally inserts the corneal discs into the patient’s eye, thereby laying the groundwork for what would eventually become refractive surgery.

1973-1983

A team at IBM developed the very first excimer laser, a laser that emits pulses of ultraviolet light—this technology would eventually be refined and used to correct vision.

1983

Scientists practiced the first LASIK procedure on a cow’s corneal tissue.

1985

A German ophthalmologist revolutionized the vision care industry, becoming the first to use an

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Restoring Sight To Millions

Millions of Americans who no longer need glasses following laser eye surgery can thank innovators like Dr. Stephen Trokel. Dr. Trokel’s vision for use of advanced medical technology in the field of ophthalmology has resulted in millions of patients who can now see clearly. Trained in engineering and physics, he pursued a medical degree in ophthalmology and, as a clinical and research professor of ophthalmology at Columbia University, began investigating the new field of laser eye surgery.

Dr. Trokel’s study of prior laser surgery techniques led him to research the effect of the excimer laser, invented in the early 1970s and able to perform very delicate surgeries, on the human cornea. Dr. Trokel began in 1982 to collaborate with several colleagues working with IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center on the potential of the excimer laser for use in surgery on human tissue. Through continued testing, they found that laser surgery could be effective in treating nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism (blurred vision at a distance or near). As they