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Iris registration can help improve quality of vision by Heather Woolwine Public Relations After the implementation of custom LASIK eye surgery at the Magill Laser Center, patients received quality laser surgery beyond dreams and expectations. Now, with iris registration, those dreams of perfect vision may be even further realized.   “Iris registration is an improved, better way to perform custom LASIK surgery,” said Kerry Solomon, M.D., Magill Laser Center medical director and Storm Eye Institute Ophthalmology professor. “It basically allows us to line up the laser more precisely. From a patient’s perspective, iris registration allows us to continue to not only help our patients achieve 20/20 vision or better without glasses, but we can also improve the quality of their vision in low light and at night.”   Custom LASIK eye surgery takes thousands of measurements of the eye and converts those measurements into a unique wavefront specific to that particular eye of a specific patient, an equivalent to a fingerprint of the eye. Simply, iris registration now permits a more precise wave front map.   “Custom LASIK surgery is a great procedure. It provides terrific patient outcomes and satisfaction and dramatically improves a patient’s quality of life,” said David Vroman, M.D., Magill Laser Center physician and Storm Eye Institute Ophthalmology associate professor. “LASIK is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the United States and has a wonderful track record as being very safe and effective, but as physicians, we always want to improve things for our patients if we can.”   Vroman and Solomon now perform iris registration for each patient receiving custom LASIK surgery at Magill Laser Center.    With the new technology only one month out of the FDA, the Magill Laser Center and its physicians are the only LASIK surgery center in the Lowcountry to offer iris registration to their custom LASIK patients, and one of the first centers in the country to offer it as well.   “Magill is always on the cutting edge of technology, so as soon as something is released by the FDA, we can begin determining the maximum amount of benefit to our patients,” Solomon said.   “With iris registration, the corrections made in the eye are more accurate, and patients are seeing better than ever before,” Vroman said. “This added feature helps to individualize treatments in order to maximize results. Everything we do is meant to improve our patients’ sight and quality of life, and this is one more advance taking us toward that goal.”   Iris registration does not change the process for those who wish to undergo custom LASIK surgery, and could be viewed as an added safety feature. Because of the precise measurements taken that are unlike anyone else’s individual eye, it is virtually impossible for physicians using iris registration to operate on the wrong eye or the wrong patient.   “If someone is thinking about custom LASIK surgery, there has never been a better time,” Solomon said. “Custom LASIK just became more customized than ever before.”   For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Magill Laser Center at 216-2020, or visit http://www.muschealth.com/magill.   Friday, Oct. 21, 2005 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.