CANADA'S FIRST iFS™ FEMTOSECOND LASER SETS NEW STANDARD IN SAFETY & OUTCOMES AT BOCHNER EYE INSTITUTE

TORONTO, ONTARIO – August 11, 2009 – Bochner Eye Institute, a leading cataract and refractive surgery clinic, is the first LASIK centre in Canada to feature the iFS™ Femtosecond laser system - the latest technological advancement for the procedure known as the IntraLase® Method.

The IntraLase® Method is a well-established procedure designed to improve the safety and outcomes for LASIK patients - by eliminating the surgical blade, or microkeratome, typically used for creating a corneal flap prior to each LASIK procedure.

The new iFS™ laser takes the LASIK procedure to a whole new standard of safety, with unparalleled precision and control. Building upon the achievements of the previous model – the IntraLase FS™ - the iFS™ is designed to create fully customized, biomechanically engineered corneal flaps that are both stronger and more stable. With improved structural integrity, the cornea is able to heal more rapidly, with greater outcomes and less risk of post-LASIK complications.

With fully customized corneal flaps - shaped with unprecedented accuracy and control - the new iFS™ system sets a new standard in patient safety and outcomes.

"The new IFS laser is a significant advance in technology. The ability to create a side cut at an angle greater than 90 degrees allows for a very stable flap position postoperatively" says Dr. Raymond Stein. "In addition the quality and smoothness of the corneal bed allows for a quicker return of vision."

"I am impressed with the increased speed of the IFS laser which reduces the amount of suction time on the eye" says Dr. Albert Cheskes. "Patients are more comfortable postoperatively and this may be related to the reduced gutter size."

About the IntraLase® Method
The LASIK procedure is a highly evolved, safe procedure. However, until the introduction of the IntraLase® Method, LASIK was not an all-laser procedure, and the risks associated with the use of a hand-held blade (or mechanical microkeratome) have kept many patients from considering LASIK. With the improved safety and outcomes of the IntraLase® Method, numerous patients previously fearful of laser vision correction are now choosing to have 'blade-free' LASIK.

Evidence from multiple peer-reviewed studies and over two million procedures (worldwide) have proven the IntraLase® Method greatly improves safety outcomes with more patients achieving better than 20/20 vision.

How It Works
The ultra-fast iFS™ femtosecond (fem-to-second) laser creates a corneal flap of precise depth, diameter and centration using an infrared beam. The silent beam of laser light is focused to a precise point within the stroma (central layer of the cornea) where each pulse of the laser creates a tiny 2- to 3-micron bubble of carbon dioxide and water vapour. Thousands of these microscopic bubbles are precisely positioned to define the flap's dimensions, as well as the location of the hinge. Bubbles are then stacked along the edge of the flap up to the corneal surface to complete the flap. The surgeon then lifts the flap to allow for treatment by the excimer laser. When treatment is complete, the flap is repositioned.

About Bochner Eye Institute
Since 1929, The Bochner Eye Institute has been a leader in vision correction, with a focus on refractive surgery over the past 15 years. The surgeons from Bochner Eye Institute, including Drs. Albert Cheskes and Raymond Stein, are graduates of the Mayo Clinic and use their years of surgical experience and 100,000 procedures to help patients obtain the best possible LASIK results. For more information, contact the Bochner Eye Institute at 416-960-2020 or at www.bochner.com.