New Eye Surgery Helps Those Who Can't Get Lasik

Lasik surgery is all the rage, but it won't work for everyone. Now, a new procedure may help some folks who have been left out. People who are moderately to severely nearsighted are suddenly seeing clearly with this new surgery.

Instead of using a laser, doctors insert a semi-permanent contact lens into the eye. It only takes about 10 minutes.

Without glasses, Anthony Rizzo has been unable to see much more than a blur since the second grade.

"I golf, I fish, I dive, you know, so being active like that with this type of vision is really difficult," Rizzo said.

Rizzo is severely nearsighted and he couldn't qualify for eye procedures like Lasik. But he is eligible for implantable collamer lenses.

"What it does is, it provides a focusing power the same way a contact lens would provide the focusing power, but it's inserted into the eye," said Dr. Lawrence Katzen, an ophthalmologist.

During the procedure, Katzen inserts the plastic lens and rests it behind the iris on the lens of the eye. It is semi-permanent, meaning it can be removed if necessary.

"I think the ideal patient is somebody who is motivated not to wear contacts or glasses, has a high degree of nearsightedness and would like to improve their quality of life," Katzen said.

The results are virtually instant.

After decades of living in a blur, Rizzo can finally see what he's been missing with the naked eye.

"I can see already. I mean, very well. It's going to get better in the next couple of days, but you know, it's amazing," Rizzo said.

The procedure is expensive. It costs about $7,000 and there can be side effects such as halos and glare. It is so new, it is not yet available in the Delaware Valley, but doctors at Wills Eye Center in Philadelphia said that might change very soon.

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