Maximizing Surgeon Safety During Excimer Laser Photorefractive Procedures

This year, it has been estimated that more than 1 million excimer laser procedures will be performed in the United States alone. A number of viral pathogens have been identified in tears and the ocular surface. This raises the possibility that viral particles or subcomponents may become part of the airborne contaminants of the laser that are ejected into the air at supersonic speed during excimer laser ablation.