Calgary Eye Doctor Discusses the Benefits of LASIK Xtra® on Breakfast Television
Dr. Howard Gimbel was recently featured on BT Calgary performing a LASIK Xtra® procedure. This extra step to laser vision correction surgery can reduce the chance of needing further vision correction years down the road.
Calgary, AB – LASIK laser vision correction has been utilized for decades as a treatment to help patients reduce – and even eliminate – their dependence on glasses and contact lenses. The procedure reshapes the eye’s cornea in order to correct visual refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. On a recent episode of Breakfast Television Calgary, cameras followed Calgary ophthalmologist Howard Gimbel, MD while he performed LASIK on a young man who had been wearing glasses since the second grade. During the procedure, Dr. Gimbel performed an additional step to the LASIK treatment, called LASIK Xtra®, to enhance the benefits.
While LASIK is known to have long-lasting results, some patients – particularly those with more severe refractive errors and those with certain corneal conditions – sometimes will need a vision correction “touch-up” later in life to continue the effects of their laser treatment. LASIK Xtra® is designed to reduce the chance that further vision correction will be needed later. Dr. Gimbel says this extra step also helps to increase the accuracy of the LASIK procedure and help patients feel more confident that their improved vision will last for a very long time.
In the BT Calgary story, Dr. Gimbel explained the LASIK Xtra® process and how it works. Basically, LASIK Xtra® uses what’s known as the Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking with Riboflavin technique to give the cornea enhanced stability. After the initial LASIK surgery is performed, the cornea is soaked in vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and then illuminated with an ultraviolet light. This effectively cross-links collagen fibers inside the cornea, which can give the cornea additional strength.
The LASIK Xtra® technique adds just a few more minutes to the LASIK procedure, which is typically quick and virtually painless for most patients, says Dr. Gimbel. His patient in BT Calgary’s video, Chris, notes that he underwent the extra step as a precaution to diminish the chance that he would need further vision correction years from now.
Dr. Gimbel says not everyone considering LASIK will need the LASIK Xtra® procedure; however, it can make a big difference for a lot of patients who want to extend their vision correction results for as long as possible.
About Howard Gimbel, MD, MPH, FRCSC
Dr. Howard Gimbel has been a practicing ophthalmologist for 50 years. The founder of Gimbel Eye Center in Calgary, AB and Edmonton, AB, Dr. Gimbel leads a team of eye doctors who offer laser vision correction, cataract surgery, and treatments for an array of eye conditions. Dr. Gimbel has been recognized as one of the “25 Most Influential Ophthalmologists of the 20th Century” by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and he was invited into the Alberta Order of Excellence in 1992.Dr. Gimbel is available for interview upon request.
To learn more about Gimbel Eye Center, please visit gimbeleyecentre.com or facebook.com/pages/Gimbel-Eye-Centre/109087969181999.
Contact:
Gimbel Eye Centre
Calgary:
Market Mall Executive Professional Centre
450, 4935 – 40 Avenue N.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T3A 2N1
Tel: (403) 286-3022
Toll-free: 1-800-661-1138
Edmonton:
Mira Health Centre
140, 11910 – 111 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5G 0E5
Tel: (780) 452-4111
Toll-free: 1-888-211-4822
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(858) 200-0044
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