The Role of Solid State Laser in the Evolution of Refractive Surgery

Call for Papers

In 1917, Albert Einstein established the theoretical foundations for the laser and the maser in the paper Zur Quantentheorie der Strahlung (On the Quantum Theory of Radiation).

In 1960, Theodore H. Maiman used a solid-state flashlamp-pumped synthetic ruby crystal to produce red laser light, at 694 nanometers wavelength. The first laser made ever was a solid state laser. Ten years later in 1970 the excimer laser was born and almost 20 years later the first patients were treated by Doctor Steven, until Paul Van Saarloos made the first solid state laser for refractive surgery at 213 nm in 1997. Intra-ablation is possible under the surface of the cornea with the first femtosecond laser for lamellar corneal surgery in 2000 for creating high end quality flaps. Solid state laser is still evolving with improvements even in the area of cataract surgery with very complicated algorithms of ablation of cataractic lens.

As technology evolves and studies present safe and predictable results with solid state lasers both in surface ablation as well as flap creation, axial keratectomies, intracorneal ring tunnels, and graft preparation for corneal transplantation, femtosecond lasers are capable of making extremely more smooth and precise “cuts” within the cornea at computer-controlled depths without affecting the surface of the eye. Finally with techniques of creation of small lens-shaped segment of tissue (lenticule) within the center of the cornea, possibilities seem endless.

The nature of solid state laser towards the stability and predicatibilty of its photodisruption procedure makes them number one investement for the future and leads to totally new ways of treatment toward the eagle eye vision.

We invite authors to contribute sending original clinical articles as well as review articles that reflect all aspects of anterior and posterior corneal surgery or cataractic procedures with solid state lasers including clinical results, complications, and recent technical advances. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Femtosecond LASIK, ICR, and keratectomies
• Femptosecond cataract
• Solid laser surface treatments for various indications
• Combined procedures and challenging cases
• Comparison of techniques, advantages, and disadvantages of different methods
• Recent advances in surgical techniques and surgical devices

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal’s Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jop/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/jop/ssl/ according to the following timetable:

Lead Guest Editor

• Georgios A. Kouounis, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Crete, Chalkis, Greece

Guest Editors

• Georgios Kymionis, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Crete, Greece
• Robert Scott, Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, Birmingham, UK
• David P. Piñero, Oftalmar, FUNCAVIS, IPASS, Universidad de Alicante, Alacant, Spain