ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, October 21, 1995                   TAG: 9510250006
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

LASER EYE SURGERY APPROVED

The Food and Drug Administration approved the nation's first laser to correct nearsightedness Friday but warned Americans to be cautious in deciding to get their eyes zapped, because the device is risky.

The SVS Apex Excimer Laser System, manufactured by Summit Technology Inc. of Waltham, Mass., offers a 30-minute operation to help sharpen the vision of people who are unable to see clearly at a distance. It costs $1,500 to $2,000 per eye.

Risks include glare or hazy vision, particularly at night, and a tendency to over-correct so that patients require reading glasses.

- Associated Press 


 by CNB