02.25.02

VISX Receives First FDA Approval for Custom-CAP™ Treatment

 

VISX, Incorporated is pleased to announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of the topographically driven Custom-Contoured Ablation Pattern (Custom-CAP) Method, under a Humanitarian Use Device exemption (HDE).

With Custom-CAP treatment, VISX physicians can now perform a treatment precisely controlled by size, depth, and location, making it possible to reshape the cornea for optimum correction. By using the VISX STAR S3 ActiveTrak™ Excimer Laser System together with a Zeiss/Humphrey® Atlas™ corneal topographer and associated VisionPro™ Ablation Planning Software, physicians are able to address decentrations resulting from a previous treatment on any brand of laser.

Indications
Custom-CAP treatment is indicated for the treatment of asymmetrical ablation patterns from previous laser refractive surgery caused by decentration of the treatment. Indicated patients include those who:

- Exhibit symptomatology supportive of visual defect: reduced best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, debilitating glare, monocular diplopia (double vision), and/or debilitating halos; and,

- Pre-operatively have at least a 6 micrometer difference on the elevation topography, from the lowest point to the highest point, over a 6.5mm diameter or over the patient's pupil diameter as measured by the Humphrey topographer, whichever is larger.

"This indication will permit physicians to assist patients who were previously untreatable with conventional laser ablation methods. Treating these patients is a top priority for VISX and all refractive surgeons," said Steven Trokel, MD. "This demonstrates the capability of the VISX platform to conduct customized ablations and complements the multi-center U.S. FDA clinical trials on wavefront guided ablations that are underway."

What is a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE)?
An HDE authorizes the marketing of a device that is intended to benefit patients in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases or conditions that affect or is manifested in fewer than 4,000 individuals in the United States per year.