Resources

Links and Downloads

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To learn more about eye health and vision correcting surgeries, visit the eye surgery education and vision resources listed below.

General vision resources:

• American Academy of Ophthalmology
• American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
• Eye Health Information from the National Eye Institute
• All About Vision

About LASIK surgery:

• LASIK information from the FDA
• List of FDA-approved lasers for LASIK
• Download the LASIK Surgery Guide from the American Academy of Ophthalmology

About cataract surgery:

• CataractSurgery.com
• Eye Health Publications from Harvard Medical School
• FDA-approved intraocular lenses
• AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL
• AcrySof® Toric IOL
• CrystaLens™ Accommodating IOL
• TECNIS® Multifocal IOL
• FDA-approved Phakic IOL implants
• Verisyse™ ARTISAN® Phakic IOL
• Visian ICL™ (Implantable Collamer Lens)

For more information about some specific diseases and procedures:

• About glaucoma
• Download information about dry eye

For information about financing eye surgery:

• National Eye Institute
• EyeCare America (the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology)

For eye surgery education and professional credentials of doctors and professionals:

• American Board of Ophthalmology (provides information on certification of ophthalmologists)
• Association of State Medical Board Executive Directors (provides information on licensed physicians in the United States)
• Federation of State Medical Boards (provides a directory with links to each state’s medical boards)
• Visit your local library to see the latest multi-volume list of medical practitioners published by the American Board of Medical Specialties-they include listings for refractive and cataract surgeries and can be searched by region.

About “off-label” use:

In the United States, drugs and medical devices must be approved for safety and effectiveness by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they can be marketed.

“Off-label” use is the practice of doctors using medical devices or prescribing pharmaceuticals for a use other than what was approved by the FDA.

The FDA reviews a company’s new drug or device application for data from clinical trials to see if the results support the use of the product for a specific condition or indication. If satisfied that the drug is safe and effective, the manufacturer and the FDA agree on specific language describing the conditions for which the product was approved and other information to be included on the product’s label.

In the U.S., the practice of medicine is not controlled by the FDA. Doctors frequently use drugs and devices in off-label applications based on their professional training, information provided in scientific medical journals, etc. Indeed, off-label use of drugs and devices is often required to meet the standard of care that doctors are expected to provide.

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Not sure what a particular term means? Click on words in bold to pull up the glossary tab.