Archived Articles January to June 2003 Long-Sought After FDA Approval For Correction Prodedure Paves Way For Vision Beyond 20/20 June 18, 2003 . Recent IRS Ruling Clarifies LASIK as Tax Deductible June 9, 2003 . Detroit Area Eye Surgeon Named One of Nation's Top Five February 12, 2003 . Leading Detroit Area Eye Surgeon Receives Michigan's First INTRALASE™ FS Laser January 6, 2003 . NewsLink™ menu   Long-Sought After FDA Approval For Correction Procedure Paves Way For Vision Beyond 20/20 Detroit LASIK Leader Now Offering VISX® WaveScan for CustomVue Contact: Barbara Fornasiero (248) 651-7536 or (586) 817-8414 eafocus@bignet.net West Bloomfield, Mich. -- June 18, 2003 -- The Beitman Laser Eye Institute in West Bloomfield is now offering the revolutionary VISX® WaveScan System for CustomVue laser vision correction of myopia and astigmatism. CustomVue, also referred to as custom ablation, uses wavefront guided technology to produce superior LASIK outcomes with corrected vision potentially exceeding 20/20. The long-awaited FDA approval of CustomVue was announced on Friday, May 23, 2003. The VISX WaveScan System captures a "fingerprint" of the eye which is 25 times more precise than what was previously measurable by standard methods. WaveScan moves beyond evaluation of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism to capture other more specific imperfections in an individual's vision. This data is then used to generate a unique, individualized treatment for the CustomVue procedure. Robert D. Beitman, M.D., F.A.C.S., founder and Medical Director of the Beitman Laser Eye Institute and Michigan's forerunner in vision correction, believes that CustomVue represents an unprecedented advance in LASIK surgery. "In a relatively short period of time, the LASIK industry has produced variable spot scanning software for farsightedness, upgraded laser systems, IntraLASIK for safer, more precise corneal flaps without a blade, and now WaveScan for CustomVue, 'eagle eye' LASIK-corrected vision," cites Dr. Beitman. "The checklist for must-have LASIK technology continues to grow, and it's all to the patient's benefit. That is why it's imperative that medical consumers do their homework prior to undergoing LASIK to ensure their surgeon is using the most advanced and proven technology available," continues Dr. Beitman. The arrival of WaveScan CustomVue comes less than six months after Dr. Beitman introduced Michigan to the all-laser INTRALASE™ FS Laser and IntraLASIK® software. These technologies work together to make a corneal flap, the critical first step in LASIK surgery where the top layer of the cornea is prepared to create a temporary hinge. Prior to the all laser IntraLASIK innovation, the surgeon could only make the flap using a mechanical bladed instrument called a microkeratome that, unlike IntraLASIK, cuts across the entire cornea. Dr. Beitman is the only surgeon in Michigan using IntraLASIK in tandem with the new CustomVue procedure. Clinical data presented by VISX at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2003 Symposium and Congress and subsequently released in a written statement to the media, revealed that 98% of the participants could see 20/20 or better, while nearly 70% could see better than 20/20 without glasses or contacts. Further, in a six-month evaluation of clinical study participants, four times as many people were very satisfied with their night vision after the VISX CustomVue procedure, compared to their previous night vision with glasses or contacts. Dr. Beitman was named to LaserVision Centers, Inc. Top 5 Surgeons list for 2002, a list of the nation's leading LASIK surgeons based on volume. He participated in the FDA trials for the initial approval of LASIK in 1995 and was the first surgeon to perform LASIK in Michigan. Dr. Beitman holds a medical degree from Wayne State University and received his ophthalmology residency training at Detroit's Sinai Hospital, which pioneered the use of lasers in ophthalmology. Dr. Beitman is a member of the International Society of Refractive Surgery and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and is the founder and past president of the Michigan Keratorefractive Society. The Beitman Laser Eye Institute has offices in West Bloomfield and Brighton [please note: the Brighton office was closed November 2003]. For additional information on CustomVue, IntraLASIK and laser vision correction, please visit www.beitman.com and www.VISX.com. Additional information about CustomVue: All About Vision Personal Best Vision Recent IRS Ruling Clarifies LASIK as Tax Deductible Leading Detroit LASIK Surgeon Says Ruling is Further Incentive For LASIK Candidates Contact: Barbara Fornasiero (248) 651-7536 or (586) 817-8414 eafocus@bignet.net West Bloomfield, Mich., June 9, 2003 -- Robert D. Beitman, M.D., F.A.C.S., founder and Medical Director of the Beitman Laser Eye Institute in West Bloomfield, believes the recent IRS clarification that includes LASIK vision correction surgery as a legitimate tax-deductible medical expense for those who qualify, will serve as an additional incentive for LASIK surgery candidates. "In my experience, LASIK patients are frequently motivated to have the surgery when they learn of LASIK safety studies, new technology, and time sensitive price incentives," explains Dr. Beitman. "Knowing that the IRS now includes LASIK as a deductible medical expense gives further validity to the safety and viability of LASIK and should serve as yet another factor for medical consumers to investigate this life altering procedure." Steve Maltzman, CPA, Managing Partner of the MSW Group in Farmington Hills, Michigan concurs. "The potential to save tax dollars while improving one's vision should be a positive factor for those deciding on the potential value of vision correction surgery," says Maltzman. "This is consistent with other tax laws encouraging taxpayers to improve their health by allowing these types of deductions. The exact nature of the deduction will depend ultimately on one's tax situation," adds Maltzman. Dr. Beitman was named to LaserVision Centers, Inc. Top 5 Surgeons list for 2002, a list of the nation's leading LASIK surgeons based on volume. He participated in the FDA trials for the initial approval of LASIK in 1995 and was the first surgeon to perform LASIK in Michigan. Dr. Beitman holds a medical degree from Wayne State University. He is a member of the International Society of Refractive Surgery and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and is the founder and past president of the Michigan Keratorefractive Society. The Beitman Laser Eye Institute has offices in West Bloomfield and Brighton [please note: the Brighton office was closed November 2003]. For additional information on laser vision correction, please visit www.beitman.com. IRS Press Release © 2003 Internal Revenue Service Detroit Area Eye Surgeon Named One of Nation's Top Five Contact: Barbara Fornasiero (248) 651-7536 or (586) 817-8414 eafocus@bignet.net West Bloomfield, Mich., February 12, 2003 -- Robert D. Beitman, M.D., F.A.C.S., founder and Medical Director of the Beitman Laser Eye Institute and Michigan's forerunner in vision correction, has been named to LaserVision Centers, Inc. Top 5 Surgeons list for 2002 based on volume. LaserVision Centers, Inc., based in St. Louis Missouri, is one of the world's largest providers of excimer lasers and related equipment and support services for the correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. The list is compiled from LaserVision Centers' network of over 1,000 surgeons. Dr. Beitman has performed over 25,000 vision correction surgeries, including 15,000 LASIK procedures, during his 26-year medical career. He participated in the FDA trials for the approval of LASIK in 1995 and was the first surgeon to perform LASIK in Michigan. In December 2002, Dr. Beitman became the first and only surgeon in Michigan to offer the INTRALASE™ FS Laser and IntraLASIK® software. The INTRALASE and IntraLASIK technologies work in tandem to create a corneal flap, the critical first step in LASIK surgery where the top layer of the cornea is prepared to create a temporary "hinge." Prior to the all laser IntraLASIK innovation, the surgeon could only make the flap using a mechanical bladed instrument called a microkeratome that, unlike IntraLASIK, cuts across the entire cornea. Dr. Beitman is a member of the International Society of Refractive Surgery and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and is the founder and past president of the Michigan Keratorefractive Society. The Beitman Laser Eye Institute has offices in West Bloomfield and Brighton [please note: the Brighton office was closed November 2003]. For additional information on IntraLASIK and laser vision correction, please visit www.beitman.com. Leading Detroit Area Eye Surgeon Receives Michigan's First INTRALASE™ FS Laser New FDA-Cleared Technology Maximizes Precision, Minimizes Complications in LASIK with Laser Created Corneal Flap Contact: Barbara Fornasiero (248) 651-7536 or (586) 817-8414 eafocus@bignet.net West Bloomfield, Mich., January 6, 2003 -- Candidates for vision correction surgery now have an advanced procedural option to consider when selecting LASIK (Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis), the most popular elective surgery procedure in the nation. The INTRALASE™ FS Laser and IntraLASIK® software, cleared by the FDA in late 1999, work in tandem to create a corneal flap, the critical first step in LASIK surgery where the top layer of the cornea is prepared to create a temporary "hinge." Prior to the all laser IntraLASIK innovation, the surgeon could only make the flap using a mechanical bladed instrument called a microkeratome that, unlike IntraLASIK, cuts across the entire cornea. In Michigan, the IntraLASIK option is only available at the Beitman Laser Eye Institute in West Bloomfield. Robert D. Beitman, M.D., F.A.C.S., founder and Medical Director of the Beitman Laser Eye Institute and Michigan's forerunner in vision correction, has been closely watching the evolution of IntraLASIK technology in recent years and is confident it offers valuable benefits to his patients. "LASIK has consistently proven to be a highly safe and effective procedure for vision correction," explains Dr. Beitman. "However, the majority of complications that do arise following LASIK, while minimal, tend to result from either the initial cutting or refitting of the corneal flap. With an all-laser approach, the surgeon can create a smoother flap edge with a safer and even more reliable degree of accuracy while almost guaranteeing a more precise refitting of the flap after the corneal reshaping treatment is completed," continues Dr. Beitman. Dr. Beitman notes that another benefit of IntraLASIK is that its consistent accuracy allows many patients who were previously considered non-candidates due to thinner corneas and other related conditions to now have LASIK. "With each new vision technology breakthrough, we allow greater numbers of the population to consider LASIK surgery. It's very gratifying for me as a surgeon to be part of this movement," confides Dr. Beitman. Will all-laser technology replace the microkeratome blade entirely? "The microkeratome remains an extremely effective tool for LASIK surgery in the hands of a skilled and experienced surgeon," asserts Dr. Beitman. "But I anticipate that the all-laser capabilities offered through IntraLASIK will eventually sway patients and surgeons away from using a blade. Medical insiders describe the microkeratome as the gold standard while all-laser technology is seen as the platinum standard. I think that's a fitting description." Dr. Beitman has performed over 25,000 vision correction surgeries, including 15,000 LASIK procedures, during his 26-year medical career. He participated in the FDA trials for the approval of LASIK in 1995 and was the first surgeon to perform LASIK in Michigan. He was also the first eye surgeon in Southeast Michigan to have the industry-leading VISX® Star S3 laser systems on site, allowing him to perform LASIK in the comfort of his West Bloomfield office. Dr. Beitman holds a medical degree from Wayne State University and received his ophthalmology residency training at Detroit's Sinai Hospital, which pioneered the use of lasers in ophthalmology. He is consistently ranked among the top LASIK surgeons in the nation. Dr. Beitman is a member of the International Society of Refractive Surgery and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and is the founder and past president of the Michigan Keratorefractive Society. The Beitman Laser Eye Institute has offices in West Bloomfield and Brighton [please note: the Brighton office was closed November 2003]. For additional information on IntraLASIK and laser vision correction, please visit www.beitman.com. More about IntraLASIK . For your complimentary consultation: 1-800-826-EYES (3937) Home | About Us | About LASIK | Questions | Locations Contact Us | Our Patients | Bulletin Board | NewsLink | Site Map Copyright © 2000 - 2008 Beitman Laser Eye Institute Website by Fresh Papaya Design and Goodchap Design Communications, Inc. .