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THE
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE - Tuesday, April 18th, 2000
I
Can See Clearly Now
Laser eye surgery on upswing among athletes
who feel it helps their performance
By
JOE D'AMODIO
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
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Annadale
resident Louis Lombardi had laser surgery last July. The
softball player hasn't stopped cracking the ball yet.
Elm
Park's Donna Jakubowski had the operation two years ago, and she
claims her bowling average has been climbing ever since.
Some
say it's a coincidence. Others think it's not.
Whatever
the case, thousands of athletes, both professional and
amateur, in just about every sport are turning to the procedure.
Such heralded names as New York Yankee slugger Bernie Williams,
Atlanta Brave pitcher Greg Maddux and pro golfer Tiger Woods
have had the procedure done, and all claim it has improved their
games. |
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Donna
Jakubowski has her laser-corrected eyes checked by Dr.
John Kung
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"I
wish this procedure came out a long time ago," said Lombardi, a
first baseman, whose vision has improved from a condition which made
him almost legally blind to his current 20-20 eyesight. "It's
been a blessing. I went from not being able to see an alarm clock five
feet in front of me to seeing everything. Every time I wake up in the
morning I'm amazed."
Jakubowski,
who says she sees the pins and mark on the alleys better in her league
at Rab's Country Lanes agrees with Lombardi.
"If
I had to, I would do it all over again," she said. "I used
to get tired with contacts in my eyes, an they used to get blurry. But
now I don't need them. So its a big difference."
This
year about 1.5 million blurry-eyed Americans are expected to have the
operation in hopes of throwing away their glasses and contacts, up
from 1 million who had the procedure in 1999.
The
most popular type of operation is called LASIK which stands for laser
in-situ keratomileusis. It involves cutting a flap in the cornea and
reshaping it with a sharp laser beam. It costs about $1,500 to $2500
per eye.
While
LASIK is fast and painless for the most part, there can be
complications for a small number of patients. The American Academy
of Ophthalmology estimates that 1 to 5 percent develop such problems a
blurred vision and night-time glare. In addition, the long-term
consequences are unknown because the procedure has been on the market
only a few years.
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Experts
also caution that the surgery is not for everyone.
Doctors
discourage it for persons under 20 because their eyesight may still be
changing. Also, some people are ruled out because of the curvature and
thickness of their corneas.
Island
ophthalmologist Dr. Deborah Rosenthal, one of only a handful of Island
doctors who perform the LASIK procedure, was on the cutting edge of
this technology.
“I
was part of the early investigation team for this procedure,” said
Rosenthal, whose offices are in New Dorp. "It's been around for
about 10 years, but only recently has it been approved.
"But
since it has come about, the technology has improved and it's a
wonderful procedure."
Dr.
John S. Kung of Staten Island Ophthalmology in Eltingville is
another who performs the procedure, and thinks the results are
simply amazing.
"It's
the most advanced procedure around," he said. "It decreases
the dependency on contacts and glasses."
The
35-year old Kung said the surgery is painless and usually takes only 3˝-5
minutes per eye.
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1
million Americans has laser eye surgery in 1999
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1.5
Million are expected to have the operation in 2000
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LASIK
(laser in-situ keratomileusis) is the most popular
type of operation
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LASIK
involves cutting a flap in the cornea and reshaping it
with a laser beam
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Costs
$1,500 to $2,500 per eye
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Takes
3 1/2 to 5 minutes per eye
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1
to 5 percent of patients develop blurred vision and
night-time glare
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“What
it is we’re reshaping the cornea as if we are constructing a new
one,” explained Kung. “The recovery is fast and the results
astonishing.”
Kung
claims that nine out of 10 of his patients can drive by the next day.
“One
patient was so nearsighted he couldn't see his feet, but the next day
he was driving,” said Kung.
Rosenthal
said the elimination of glasses and contacts and how the sun reflects
off them limiting eye sight is also one of I the immediate benefits of
having the operation."
Kung
indicated a percentage of patients may need to rely on glasses or
contacts in the future if their vision is not completely corrected
during the procedure.
“The
surgery is not 100 percent, but it's very high up there,” he said.
“At least 90 percent of the patients who can't pass the eye
examination of a driving test before can pass it (afterwards).”
As
the number of doctors performing the procedure has increased,
consumers are seeing more adverrtising with celebrity endorsements.
TLC
Laser Eye Centers, based in Ontario, Canada, has signed endorsement
deals with Woods and pro golfer Se Ri Pak..
"The
average Joe is very scared of it," said TLC chief executive
Elias Vamvakas. "But when they see athletes like Tiger do it,
they think it must be effective if they go to the right place."
Dr.
Robert Maloney, a Los Angeles ophthalmologist, said celebrities are
a distinct drawing card.
"The
acceptance by professional golfers has brought a huge number of
amateur golfers into our practice," said Maloney, who has also
performed the procedure on musicians Kenny G. and Barry Manilow.
Williams
said he carefully researched the procedure before having it done last
November.
“It’s
nothing short of miraculous," said Williams. "I saw the
success a lot of people have had with it. I did some research, I
talked to doctors, other patients, other players who've had it' and I
got enough confidence in the whole thing to get it done."
Maddux,
who won his Opening Day start, said not having to wear glasses or
contacts makes it easier to pitch, especially in bad weather. But he
seems more excited about how the operation has changed his time off
the mound.
"It's
just little things," Maddux said. "Watching TV. Putting on
your shirt without taking your glasses off. Just a bunch of
nit-picking things that really don't mean a whole lot, but when you
add them all together, it's a great convenience."
Which
is something that Jakubowski can relate to.
"My
mom lives an hour away in Pennsylvania and every I time I stayed over
I used to have to bring a whole bag with me full of contact stuff and
solution." she said. “It’s great to just get up and go
now.”
“I
paid $4,500, but it was worth every penny,” added Lombardi, who
noted his insurance company didn’t cover the surgery because it was
deemed cosmetic. “My eyes really got infected by wearing contacts
all those years. I had nowhere to turn until this operation.
“It’s
been heaven.”
(The
Associated Press’s Phil Galewitz contributed to this story)
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