About The Film

Laser Vision: 20/10 By 2010? Chronicles the History and Controversies of Laser Eye Surgery

This PBS broadcast, narrated by Walter Cronkite, examines the techniques and future direction of the most frequently performed elective surgery in the world (Check your local listings, or contact your PBS station for airdates and times).

With 1.35 million LASIK (laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis) surgery procedures performed in the United States alone during 2001, Laser Vision: 20/10 by 2010? examines the phenomenon of laser surgery and the potential it holds for delivering "superhuman" vision in less than a decade. Yet, this fast-growing surgery has troubled some medical specialists, as refractive surgeons gained the ability to treat myopia (nearsightedness) by cutting into a healthy eye as an alternative to wearing eyeglasses. The popularity of the quick, nearly painless and highly effective procedure has also brought about a virtual surgery-on-demand expectation, with patients taking on the role of consumers and surgery viewed as a product with a widely varying price point.

Laser Vision: 20/10 by 2010? reviews the history of laser surgery and details its surprising link to an early Japanese military strategy during the years prior to World War II. The 60-minute program follows the subsequent efforts to improve human vision and includes fascinating archival footage from the Moscow clinic operated by the flamboyant ophthalmologist Svyatoslav Fyodorov, who developed the radial keratotomy ("RK") procedure. Using a team of surgeons, each trained to make a specific cut in the cornea of the patient, Dr. Fyodorov constructed a daisy-wheel device that moved eight patients in a precise circle in order to complete the process. At its peak, The Moscow Eye Microsurgery Centre, founded in 1974, turned out a surgically corrected eye every 19 seconds through this assembly line process.

"Laser surgery is one of the medical miracles of the past decade," says Anthony C. Burden, writer and producer of the program. "Our goal was to look at the technology that allowed refractive surgery to grow at a tremendous rate, as well as how the newest lasers might enable superhuman vision in the very near future. We also wanted to voice the concerns of those who feel LASIK surgery has blurred several lines, such as the medical ethics of performing surgery on a healthy eye and the use of the language of advertising to turn consumers into patients."

According to the Federal Drug Administration, almost all (99.4 percent) patients with low to moderate myopia achieve 20/40 eyesight or better after their LASIK procedure. However, the patient-advocate group "Surgical Eyes" was formed to call public attention to those instances when a patient has a less-than-successful result. One of their most frequently reported complaints is seeing halos around bright objects at night, largely experienced by patients who were treated with the earlier broad beam lasers.

George O. Waring, III, MD, one of the country's top ophthalmologists and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Refractive Surgery, clearly states the risks when he says, "While LASIK appears quick and simple…it is actually highly complex with numerous details that can make a big difference in outcomes. Studies have shown that the number of complications is directly related to the surgeon's experience."

Through animation that illustrates the science of vision, interviews with the pioneers of refractive surgery and archival footage, Laser Vision: 20/10 by 2010? analyzes the potential for doubling human visual ability and the technological means of delivering this revolutionary development.

Laser Vision: 20/10 by 2010? is a production of Medical Center Television, Inc., and Houston PBS/KUHT, presented by LARK International, available nationwide on PBS. The program is written and produced by Anthony C. Burden and narrated by Walter Cronkite. Major funding is provided by Universal Computer Systems, Inc., with additional funding by Rentsys. HoustonPBS is a service of the University of Houston, supported by the Association for Community Television.