Santa Ana, CA—Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) received approval from the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) today to use the company's LASIK technologies on United States Astronauts.

Consumers received approval a decade ago however, NASA didn't approve it for missions until it was developed into an all laser procedure. AMO's LASIK with InterLase Method has permission from NASA for use on pilots, mission and payload specialists who face extreme conditions in space.

"NASA's approval is further evidence that today's LASIK exceeds all established standards of safety and effectiveness," said Steven Schallhorn, M.D., retired captain of the U.S. Navy.

The InterLase (femtosecond) laser replaces the hand-held micrkeratome blade used for creating LASIK corneal flaps. The laser eliminates almost all of the sight threatening LASIK complications related to microkeratomes.