Lasik without lasers? Scientists may have found a way

What if you could repair your damaged eye without having to shoot a laser on it? Scientists have potentially discovered a new method of corneal repair, similar to Lasik, which would not require laser or other invasive surgical tool.

Researchers from the Western College and the University of California in Irvine have created the technique, which aims to temporarily make the cornea malleable. In experiences with rabbit eyelashes, their method seemed to work while also leaving living corneal cells. Additional research is necessary to examine the procedure, but if everything goes well, it could become a favorite alternative to Lasik, say the researchers.

“There is a long way between what we have done and the clinic. But, if we get there, this technique is largely applicable, much cheaper and potentially even reversible,” said the main researcher Michael Hill, professor of chemistry in the Western College, in a statement by the American Chemical Society.

Why some people avoid the lasik

Lasik is systematically used to deal with conditions such as myopia, clandestinity or astigmatism. It reshapes the cornea – the transparent external layer of the eye which captures and focuses on the retina, using a precise cutting laser.

Although generally safe and effective, surgery permanently weakens the structural integrity of the cornea. People will also generally experience side effects such as dry ocular and visual disturbances such as halos; Some small ones even develop serious, but rare complications, such as chronic nervous pain. Ideally, the team’s method would avoid these risks.

A potentially safer method

The technique is called electromechanical remodeling. Some of the authors had already used it to handle other parts of the body that contain collagen and water, such as ears. It works by modifying the pH of the fabric via short gusts of electricity, which allows it to mold briefly as desired. Once the pH is restored, the fabric returns to its original rigid state.

The researchers used the technique on rabbit eyelashes in the laboratory, some of which were intended to represent myopia in humans. Special contact lenses made in platinum have been placed on the extracted eyes. These lenses served as an electrode, providing a base for how the cornea must be properly reshaped.

Once the researchers have slightly zapped the eye, the cornea has become flexible and profiled to the form of the lens. Not only has the cornea filled as the researchers wanted, but the procedure did not seem to kill corneal cells or affect the stability of the cornea. A YouTube video describing the team’s approach, the American Chemical Society, can be seen below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?

The results of the team, presented this week at the Autumn Conference of the American Chemical Society, are still preliminary. Researchers admit that it will take more research on animals before they can even think about testing their method in humans. Their next step planned is to try the procedure on living rabbits.

But the team’s work potential is certainly there, and it can extend beyond the treatment of myopia. Researchers also hope to explore if electromechanical remodeling can help repair clandestinity, astigmatism and perhaps even certain forms of cloud vision.

Unfortunately, as was the case for many scientists during the second Trump administration, the researchers say that their work has been delayed in relation to the concerns to obtain additional funding.