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Huhtala A, Pietilä J, Mäkinen P, Uusitalo H Femtosecond lasers for laser in situ keratomileusis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Ophthalmol. 2016 Mar 7;10:393-404. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S99394. eCollection 2016.
Pajic B, Vastardis I, Pajic-Eggspuehler B, Gatzioufas Z, Hafezi F Femtosecond laser versus mechanical microkeratome-assisted flap creation for LASIK: a prospective, randomized, paired-eye study. Clin Ophthalmol. 2014 Sep 22;8:1883-9. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S68124. eCollection 2014.
Pietilä J, Huhtala A, Mäkinen P, Salmenhaara K, Uusitalo H Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis flap creation with the three-dimensional, transportable Ziemer FEMTO LDV model Z6 I femtosecond laser. Acta Ophthalmol. 2014 Nov;92(7):650-5. doi: 10.1111/aos.12333. Epub 2013 Dec 26.
Pietilä J, Huhtala A, Mäkinen P, Uusitalo H Flap characteristics, predictability, and safety of the Ziemer FEMTO LDV femtosecond laser with the disposable suction ring for LASIK. Eye (Lond). 2014 Jan;28(1):66-71. doi: 10.1038/eye.2013.244. Epub 2013 Nov 15.
Tomita M, Chiba A, Matsuda J, Nawa Y Evaluation of LASIK treatment with the Femto LDV in patients with corneal opacity. J Refract Surg. 2012 Jan;28(1):25-30. doi: 10.3928/1081597X-20111213-01. Epub 2011 Dec 19.
Precision of 2D vs 3D Low Energy Femto-LASIK: Intraoperative and Postoperative OCT-based Study
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
