WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avedro, Inc. announced today that the Company’s proprietary Lasik Xtra procedure has received Canadian Approval. Lasik Xtra is a two minute procedure used in conjunction with standard Lasik to restore biomechanical integrity and strength to the cornea after a standard Lasik procedure. The procedure combines riboflavin ophthalmic solution with Avedro’s KXL™ System (UVA irradiation) to achieve accelerated corneal cross-linking during a Lasik procedure.
“Having been the first corneal surgeon to perform laser refractive surgery in Canada over 20 years ago, I have seen many innovations, and believe Lasik Xtra to be one of the simplest to perform and most beneficial to my Lasik patients,” said Dr. Howard Gimbel, Gimbel Eye Centre, Calgary, Alberta.
"I believe that Lasik Xtra provides long term stability and enhanced safety for my Lasik patients," said Dr. John Blaylock, Valley Laser Eye Centre, Abbottsford, British Columbia. "The addition of Lasik Xtra also broadens the range of patients who may be eligible for the Lasik procedure."
"Avedro has the only cross-linking products specifically approved in Canada for performing Lasik Xtra and we are pleased to enable this procedure for a growing number of ophthalmologists and their Lasik patients,” said David Muller, PhD, CEO of Avedro.
“I feel there is an added benefit to having Lasik Xtra as its stabilizing effect “locks-in” a prescription after surgery,” said Dr. Christoph Kranemann of Clearview Institute, Toronto, Ontario. He notes that he found there to be a lower incidence of regression in patients who have had Lasik Xtra. Regression occurs when the cornea attempts to return to its original shape after surgery and has plagued surgeons for decades, as it often requires extra “touch-up” surgeries. Dr. Kranemann says, “For certain people interested in having Lasik, it would almost be a disservice to not offer Lasik Xtra!”
Lasik Xtra is currently being performed in most provinces in Canada, and has been used on thousands of patients outside the US.
About Avedro, Inc.
Avedro is a privately held medical device and pharmaceutical company advancing the science and technology of corneal cross-linking. Avedro recently completed its US‐based, multi-centered, Phase III studies of corneal cross-linking for the treatment of progressive keratoconus and corneal ectasia following refractive surgery. Outside the United States, Avedro has commercialized both VibeX and its KXL System for performing Lasik Xtra and accelerated cross-linking. Additionally, Avedro is developing the science of Thermo‐biomechanics for therapeutic medical applications. The Keraflex® refractive correction procedure is the first technology developed from the Thermo‐biomechanics platform and is a non‐invasive, incision‐less ophthalmic procedure for flattening the cornea without the removal of tissue. Keraflex offers the unique ability to induce refractive change without weakening the cornea’s biomechanical integrity, as happens with Lasik and other refractive correction procedures. Keraflex is commercially available outside of the United States.