Dr. Marguerite McDonald Joins Orca Surgical as the Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board

Marguerite McDonald, MD, FACS, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at NYU School of Medicine in Manhattan and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Tulane University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, has joined the Scientific Advisory B

Kiryat Shmona (I-Newswire) January 29, 2013 - Marguerite McDonald, MD, FACS, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at NYU School of Medicine in Manhattan and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Tulane University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, has joined the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of Orca Surgical as the chairman of the scientific advisory board. Dr. McDonald will lead the clinical team investigating Orca Surgical’s new surface ablation procedure – EBK™ (Epi Bowman Keratectomy).

Dr. McDonald is a world-renowned ophthalmologist and cornea surgeon. She performed the world's first excimer laser surgery, to eliminate or reduce the need for glasses and contact lenses, in 1987. In 1993, Dr McDonald was also the first to perform excimer laser surgery for farsightedness. She also performed the world's first Summit/Autonomous wavefront-based excimer laser surgeries, which were also the first wavefront-based laser surgeries in the U.S.

"In surface ablation, I have always tried to remove the epithelium as atraumatically as possible," says Dr. McDonald. “This approach is based on my observation that patients with atraumatic epithelial removal do better postoperatively: faster reepithelialization, less pain, a more dioptrically accurate outcome, and better UCVA and BCVA. Orca Surgical is in the process of documenting this with the EBK procedure, which uses their Epi-Clear device.”

The EBK procedure enables controlled removal of the epithelium, in a minimum number of “passes”, without damaging Bowman’s layer. The EBK procedure creates the ideal treatment bed, clear of debris and with graduated borders to augment epithelium periphery growth. In early clinical trials, this technique results in improved dioptric accuracy with faster visual recovery time due to more rapid epithelial healing.

The foundation of the EBK procedure is the patented Epi-Clear device, which is a multi-blade polymer device that allows epithelial removal by gently lifting the epithelium in a few large sheets while simultaneously collecting the sheets into the bowl-shaped tip.

"We are honored to have Dr. McDonald on our SAB board,” says Yariv Bar-On Orca Surgical CEO. “She is one of the few physicians in the world to have tried all the methods available, in surface ablation and LASIK, and one of the first to express a preference for surface ablation over LASIK for its exceedingly low rate of serious complications. Her vast experience and support for EBK inspires confidence in this novel, safe, and effective solution for the growing surface ablation market.”