WEDNESDAY, Sept. 14, 2016 -- The VisuMax Femtosecond Laser has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat nearsightedness in candidates 22 and older.
Nearsightedness, medically called myopia, is present when a person can see close objects clearly, but not objects farther away. Common causes include a misshapen cornea or excess length of the eyeball, the FDA said in a news release.
The procedure to permanently reshape the cornea is not appropriate for everyone, the agency said. Of 328 people clinically evaluated six months after having the surgery, 88 percent had 20/20 vision, the FDA said.
The most common complications from the procedure included surgical debris, dry eye, glare and the appearance of a halo.
The device is produced by Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., based in Dublin, Calif.
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Learn more about this approval from the FDA.
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