Ming Wang, MD, PhD, Nashville, TN, became the first surgeon in the United States to implant a new Intacs® corneal implant to treat severe keratoconus

Wang Vision 3D Cataract and LASIK Center, Nashville, Tennessee

The US FDA has recently approved an expanded range of Intacs® corneal implants for the treatment of more severe Keratoconus.

Des Plaines, Illinois, April 30, 2010 – Addition Technology, Inc., the maker of Intacs® corneal implants, AlphaSphere™ orbital implants and the AlphaCor™ artificial cornea, announced today that Ming Wang, MD, PhD, and the Director of Wang Vision Cataract and LASIK Center in Nashville, Tennessee, has become the first surgeon in the United States to perform an Intacs® procedure using the recently FDA-approved expanded range for more severe keratoconus. The first surgery in the US took place at Wang Vision Cataract and LASIK Center in Nashville, TN on Friday, April 30th at 3:30pm, on Mr. Maxim Meyer.

“Keratoconus affects one in every 200-500 Americans. Patients with this disease suffer from debilitating, progressive loss of vision, for which we had no effective treatment in the past except risky corneal transplantation. The advent of the Intacs® technology represents a revolutionary development in our ability to treat this disease by improving our patients’ vision, and delaying or even potentially avoiding corneal transplantation,” said Dr. Wang. “The recent FDA approval of an expanded range of Intacs® treatments for patients who have a more severe keratoconic disease represents a significant advancement in technology, and we are excited to be a part of this effort, and honored to be the first in the country to implant this new technology!”

Keratoconus is a progressive condition where the clear, front surface of the eye-the cornea-becomes weak and begins to steepen, causing a bulge-like appearance and deteriorating vision.  The steeper the bulge, the more difficult it becomes for contact lenses to stay on the eye, and the higher the risk of corneal issues such as scarring. Intacs® flatten the cornea, improving visual acuity and comfort with contact lens wear.

Maxim Meyer is a 19-year-old student from Franklin, TN, who was diagnosed with keratoconus several years ago. He has suffered progressive loss of sight despite all treatments with the current available technologies, including rigid gas permeable lenses, and was told that the only option to improve his sight would be an invasive corneal transplantation, which carries a lifelong risk of graft rejection. The new Intacs® procedure offers new and exciting hope that Maxim may be able to have improved vision and preserve his own cornea! Maxim is thrilled to be the first patient in the US to receive this newest generation Intacs® surgery. “I want to be the first,” Maxim said. The surgery went flawlessly, and Maxim is very happy!

 “Dr. Wang is an internationally-recognized eye surgeon who is on the cutting edge of new technologies.  He sees patients from around the world and actively supports the Wang Foundation, a 501c(3) sight restoration charity which helps patients who are suffering from serious eye conditions and are unable to afford necessary treatments, and he performs all their sight restoration surgeries free-of-charge,” stated William M. Flynn, president and CEO of Addition Technology.  “It did not surprise me that Dr. Wang has become the first surgeon in the United States to perform this new procedure.”

Dr. Ming Wang is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and MIT (MD, magna cum laude) and is one of the few eye surgeons in the world who holds a doctorate degree in laser physics. He is an internationally known expert in the field of keratoconus, and has published 4 major textbooks including Keratoconus and Keratoectasia, Corneal Topography, Irregular Astigmatism and Corneal Dystrophy and Degeneration. Dr. Wang has written a large number of peer-reviewed articles, including one in the world renowned journal “Nature”. Wang Vision Cataract and LASIK Center is an international referral center for the treatment of keratoconus.

For information about Dr. Ming Wang, contact www.WangCataractLASIK.com. E-mail: drwang@wangvisioninstitute.com. Wang Vision Cataract and LASIK Center, 1801 West End Ave, Ste 1150, Nashville, TN, 615-321-8881.