Dr. Frantz Served as Assistant on This History-Making Surgery
When we say Dr. Jonathan Frantz, founder and medical director at Frantz EyeCare, is among the most experienced surgeons in laser vision correction, it’s not just a fluff statement. He has had a front-row seat to the evolution of laser vision correction since day one.
March 25, 2018 marked the 30-year anniversary of the very first successful laser vision correction procedure on a human eye. Guess who assisted on this groundbreaking procedure?
That’s right! Our very own Dr. Jonathan Frantz. As a young ophthalmologist completing his training, Dr. Frantz was privileged to serve as an assistant on this history-making surgery which took place at the Louisiana State University Eye Center.
The PRK procedure had been studied and performed on thousands of cadaver eyes, both animal and human, but never before on a living, breathing person, until one brave volunteer stepped up.
Alberta Cassady was a 62-year-old woman who volunteered to allow the team to test the procedure on her. Dr. Marguerite McDonald was the lead surgeon on the case.
“Ms. Cassady was healing nicely post-op,” said Dr. Frantz. “The refractive and clinical results were excellent. It was a very exciting step forward in the field of laser vision correction.”
The surgery and post-op evaluations were so promising that the FDA allowed Dr. McDonald and her research team, including Dr. Frantz, to immediately start human trials on blind eyes with normal corneas.
Since that initial surgery, laser vision correction, sometimes called refractive surgery, has exploded and advanced exponentially. LASIK is now the #1 elective procedure performed in the world today with millions of people enjoying better vision.
We are thankful for amazing scientists and surgeons like Dr. McDonald and Dr. Frantz as well as people like Alberta Cassady, whose bravery and generosity provided vital information that launched forward the exciting field of laser vision correction.
