ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, July 27, 1996 TAG: 9607290050
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: GAITHERSBURG, MD.
Federal regulators issued an unusually strong warning Friday to stop eye doctors from using unapproved machines for laser surgery on nearsighted Americans.
The popular laser surgery promises better vision without glasses to many of the 60 million Americans who are nearsighted.
The FDA has approved two lasers since last fall, made by Summit Technology and Visx, to help people see more clearly at a distance. But some doctors are importing cheaper, used lasers from Europe, or building their own.
That's illegal, the FDA warned at a meeting of eye specialists Friday. Doctors either must use FDA-approved lasers or, if they think their own lasers are superior, get government permission to study them while informing patients that the devices are experimental.
- Associated Press
LENGTH: Short : 27 linesby CNB