A clearer view of the world

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

Darin Brown has a new outlook on life. Last month, the 44-year-old Germantown resident underwent LASIK eye surgery.

Before the surgery, Mr. Brown often found himself misplacing his glasses or turning his contacts inside out. The LASIK procedure has allowed him to see clearly without either of them.

"I can see so much better now," Mr. Brown says. "There is a sharpness. When I'm driving at night, I can see farther. I saw a live deer about 100 yards ahead while driving. I might not have seen him before."

The LASIK procedure has advanced so much that NASA approved the technology for U.S. astronauts last month. The LASIK, or laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, technology also has been endorsed for U.S. military personnel.

When NASA approved LASIK for astronauts, it only confirmed what Dr. Mark Whitten says he already knew. "This is one more confirmation," he says. "If NASA will allow astronauts to have this done to them, the person with everyday activities will be fine."

Dr. Whitten is regional medical director of TLC Laser Eye Centers of the metro D.C. area. The company has offices in Rockville, Reston and McLean. Mr. Brown is his patient.

Athletes have known for years that LASIK is effective, Dr. Whitten says. He has lasered athletes such as golfer Tiger Woods.

"They look at all of this technology as performance enhancement," Dr. Whitten says. "They see better. They perform better. For the average person, they might not notice all the little things the athletes see."

The new all-laser LASIK procedure helped convince NASA of its safety and effectiveness, says Dr. Steve Schallhorn, chief medical director for Optical Express in Glasgow, Scotland. He also has a private practice in San Diego.

Although Dr. Schallhorn retired from the U.S. Navy in February, he previously served as its director of refractive surgery, where he conducted about 200 studies on laser vision correction. He also has been a consultant to NASA.