15 Years of LASIK in Maine at EMG

Gretel Taska is the Clinical and Refractive Director at Eyecare Medical Group. She has been with EMG for 19 years, and has worked here since we started doing refractive surgery. Here she discusses the changes in LASIK and refractive surgery since it first began.

The physicians at Eyecare Medical Group began offering refractive surgery to their patients in 1991. The fact that there was a procedure to reduce or eliminate a persons' need for glasses was new and exciting. RK was in great demand and the EMG refractive surgeons provided successful treatment to many patients. Advances in technology brought PRK and then LASIK to the refractive world and shortly after the FDA approved the excimer laser for use in the United States, Eyecare Medical Group purchased the very first excimer laser in the state of Maine. EMG has been offering PRK and LASIK to patients since 1997. We have successfully treated thousands of people who are living life free of the inconvenience of glasses and contact lenses for most of their daily activities.

In 2000, I began to oversee the refractive department. We used the Summit Apex Plus excimer laser which was an excellent laser for its time. I even had LASIK myself in June of 2000. While I have enjoyed 20/20 vision since that time, I have also watched the advances in technology. Three more excimer lasers later and we are able to provide vision correction for myopia, hyperopia as well as astigmatism. Our bladeless all laser LASIK system provides an exceptional experience for each and every patient. With time, refractive procedures have become safer and more accurate, offering patients the ability to see more clearly and better peace of mind.