Daily Bulletin

Proper care lowers LASIK risks -- at UW laser clinic

Clinic head and optometrist Lisa Willms said the problem of inflammation which can develop after LASIK surgery has occurred in one patient at the clinic, but the overall incidence of the condition -- known as non-specific diffuse interlamellar keratitis -- at TLC clinics is much lower than the 18 per cent reported at a B.C. clinic.

The one case seen at the UW clinic was treated early with steroid eye drops, the inflammation subsided, and the patient is "visually fine", with 20/20 vision restored in the involved eye, she said.

The problem occurs when the condition is undiagnosed or diagnosed too late, she added. "Unfortunately, there are surgeons out there giving LASIK a bad name. No surgery is without risk. If complications are managed poorly, they can result in vision loss; if managed properly, the risk to vision is minimal."

The TLC clinic at Waterloo has yet to install its own laser, and since it opened last year has conducted pre-op evaluations for patients, most of whom are sent to a London TLC clinic for the actual surgery. The local clinic then provides follow-up care after the procedure. Construction at the clinic is underway to accommodate a laser, which is expected to be installed in April.

Depending on the individual patient, said Willms, either LASIK or PRK, the earlier form of laser surgery may be recommended. However, PRK is useful mainly for situations requiring lower prescription adjustments, and in fact, carries a higher risk of infection because the protective layer covering the cornea must be removed in the procedure.

Although it is not known what causes the occasional problem with inflammation following LASIK surgery, she said, improper sterilization techniques are suspected, and TLC clinics take the precaution of not reusing surgical blades in hopes of minimizing the risk. The incidence of non-specific diffuse interlamellar keratitis in TLC clinics is less than one per cent, she noted, with TLC clinics operating throughout North America since 1994.

The critical need for quality pre- and post-operative care in laser surgery is one reason the UW School of Optometry decided to host a TLC centre at the university. While the actual surgery is conducted by ophthalmologists, optometrists -- which are trained at UW -- play a key role in providing screeening, as well as care before and after surgery.

"It was an opportunity for faculty, researchers and students to become experienced with the procedure," said school of optometry director Graham Strong. Having the TLC clinic on campus "provides an opportunity for students to see patients that are likely to become part of their practice," added Gary Marx, school administrator.

"The reputation of TLC was a factor" in entering into the relationship, said Marx, "as well as the good relationships it establishes with optometrists in the areas in which it operates." The School of Optometry provides space for the clinic, and shares in both staffing expenses and revenues from the centre, he said. "It's a win-win situation."

While Strong expressed concerns about the recent warning issued to people considering LASIK, he stressed the ongoing commitment of the school to ensure procedures are safe. "We're always sensitive to new information about anything we do or anything we're involved with," he said, noting that a quality insurance committee reviews procedures carried out in the Eye Care Centre at the school, of which TLC is a part.

"We respond to new information and make adjustments in protocol and procedures as required."

Happening on Renoir's birthday

At 10:30 this morning, Peter Thall of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, Texas, will speak on "Treatment Comparisons Based on Two-Dimensional Safety and Efficacy Alternatives in Oncology Trials." Sponsored by the UW department of statistics and actuarial science, the lecture will be held in Math and Computer room 5158.

A legal aid clinic for grad students will be held today starting at 1 p.m. Appointments can be made by contacting Bob Sproule at ext. 3634.

"AulaNet: An Environment for the Development and Maintenance of Courses on the Web" will be the subject of a TRACE teaching event today from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in Davis Centre room 1302. Carlos J.P. de Lucena, an adjunct professor in UW's computer science department and a faculty member at Pontificia Universidade Catolica, Brazil, will speak at the session which is open to faculty members, adjunct and sessional instructors, staff instructors, librarians and graduate students. To register, phone TRACE at ext. 3132.

What Does the Future Hold for History? is the question to be posed by history professor John English today at the Arts Talks Back Lecture at 3 p.m. in Hagey Hall 373. The talk is free and open to the public.

The department of chemical engineering is sponsoring a seminar today at 3:30 p.m. by Robert J. Farrauto, a research fellow with the Engelhard Corporation in Iselin, New Jersey. "Environmental Catalysis into the 21st Century" will be the subject of the discussion held in Douglas Wright Engineering room 2517.

The experience of women working in the free trade zones in the Dominican Republic will be the subject of a talk today at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Life Centre multipurpose room. Violeta Perez, co-founder of La Zonera, a committee of women workers, will provide a first-hand account of working conditions. The talk is sponsored by the Waterloo Public Interest Research Group.

UW's school of architecture Arriscraft lecture series presents Vilhelm Helander, a Helsinki architect and professor, who will speak at 7 p.m. on "Italian Inspiration: A Finnish Tradition in Architecture". The talk will be held in the Environmental Studies 2 Green Room. For more information, phone ext. 2676.

Bright and early tomorrow, the Centre for Family Business will begin a conference on Making the Family Partnership Work. The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Waterloo Inn, and will be led by David Gallagher, head of the family business management program at the University of Toronto. The fee is $125 for members, $165 for non-members. To find out more, contact the Centre for Family Business at 886-0910.

At 9:30 a.m. on Friday, senate graduate council will meet in Needles Hall room 3001.

UW engineering whiz kids are off to the Annual Ontario Engineering Competition tomorrow and Saturday at the University of Windsor. UW competition coordinator and systems design professor Fakhri Karray reports a record number of 28 undergraduate students making up 12 teams from UW will be participating in the areas of corporate design, entrepreneurial design, explanatory communication, team design, editorial communication and parliamentary debate. Teams finishing in the top two places in each category will go on to the national competition held in Montreal a week later.

And finally, after 15 years at UW, University Club manager Sue McGraw is moving on the west coast to pursue new opportunities in the Vancouver area. "Sue has done a first rate job of managing the Club, and she will be missed by faculty, staff and club members from all segments of the community," says Bud Walker, UW business operations director. "Sue can be proud of the role she has played in creating such a respected establishment on campus."

Barbara Elve
bmelve@uwaterloo.ca

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca | (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
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