OPTEC has installed and put into operation the first ZEISS MEL 90 excimer laser in Kazakhstan and the CIS countries. The laser is used in the Kazakh Research Institute of Eye Diseases in Almaty for Femto-LASIK and PRK/LASEK laser eye surgeries for the correction of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism, for all types of dioptric defects (0 to ±10 diopters). During the first month of operation, Marat Suleymenov, Chief Physician of the Kazakh Research Institute of Eye Diseases, and Olga Kim, Head of the Refractive Surgery Department, performed almost 90 surgeries.
The MEL 90 is the advanced model of the excimer laser made by Carl Zeiss Meditec. The laser is used for refractive correction surgeries. The unique feature of the MEL 90 is that it lets the eye surgeon flexibly choose between 250 Hz and 500 Hz frequency. Using 500 Hz frequency, the surgeon can perform LASIK and Femto-LASIK procedures spending almost twice as little time for the procedure and the exposure of the cornea to the laser beam. When performing LASIK, the laser can ablate 1 diopter in as little as 1.3 seconds. The MEL 90 also features the Triple-A (Advanced Ablation Algorithm) technology. As an improved ablation profile, Triple-A offers a high degree of precision and predictability and therefore better eyesight quality.
Marat Suleymenov, Chief Physician of the Kazakh Research Institute of Eye Diseases, says: «We at the Kazakh Research Institute of Eye Diseases have extensive experience in operating ZEISS ophthalmic equipment: we started to use the ZEISS MEL 80 excimer laser back in 2004. All this time, we have been using it heavily; with many years of flawless operation, it has proven to be very reliable and is still in good working order. We will continue using it in one of our branches. From my experience with the MEL 90, I would like to highlight that this laser offers the same benefits as the previous model, such as excellent precision and predictability, improved workplace ergonomics for the surgeon, and high patient comfort. The 500 Hz mode and the new ablation algorithm allow for much faster treatment procedures, which is very important for both the patient and the surgeon: there are less patient behavior-related errors because the procedures literally takes seconds. In addition to high reliability and performance, I would like to point out that the MEL excimers can be used in the existing operating rooms without any substantial modifications to the premises, which saves us time and money.»
The Kazakh Research Institute of Eye Diseases is the main eye care center and coordinator in the Republic of Kazakhstan that develops and implements advanced methods for diagnostics and treatment of eye pathologies, conducts research, and offers treatment and prevention services. The Institute provides training to practitioners from eye care centers all over Kazakhstan and organizes professional improvement and development courses. It also serves as the clinical site for ophthalmology departments from a number of universities.
The cooperation between the Kazakh Research Institute of Eye Diseases, ZEISS, and OPTEC goes a long way back. The Institute benefits from a wide range of ZEISS solutions for everyday treatment, research, and training practice. Among these solutions are the Visumax femtosecond laser, the Lumera surgical microscope, the Visante optical coherence tomographer, the IOL Master optical coherence biometry system, the Visulas Yag Combi ophthalmic laser, the HFA visual field analyzer, the Cirrus optical coherence tomographer, and other equipment.
