BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Dec. 14, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While the St. Louis Cardinals are still riding high from their World Series victory, a talented player from their farm team has been training hard for next season, starting with treating his vision condition. Springfield Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham suffered from blurriness and double vision due to Keratoconus, a degenerative eye disease characterized by a bulging cornea that can eventually lead to profound loss of vision. Yesterday he received a revolutionary procedure called Holcomb C3-R® from renowned Beverly Hills eye surgeon Dr. Brian S. Boxer Wachler that is expected to stabilize the disease.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=11246
Previously, the only solution to stopping Keratoconus was an invasive and painful cornea transplant, which carries significant risks and high costs. By contrast, Holcomb C3-R® is a 30-minute, outpatient, 1-day recovery procedure that is designed specifically to treat Keratoconus. The custom-made Crosslinking Solution is systematically applied to the cornea, which is then activated by a special light, thereby strengthening the weakened cornea. The procedure, which Dr. Boxer Wachler invented 8 years ago, was renamed in honor of Olympic four-man bobsledder Steve Holcomb, who had retired from the sport in 2007 when Keratoconus had rendered him legally blind and unable to safely steer his sled.
After the C3-R® procedure treated his Keratoconus, Holcomb led his four-man team to the United States' first gold medal in four-man bobsled in 62 years at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Dr. Boxer Wachler added Holcomb's name to the procedure as a tribute to the athlete.
"In sports, especially baseball, vision is the key to success, and with Holcomb C3-R® along with contact lenses I expect that Tommy will be able to see the stitches rotating on the baseball all next season," said Dr. Boxer Wachler.
Treating athletes and high profile clients is common for Dr. Boxer Wachler, who has treated boxer Sugar Shane Mosley and, of course, Steve Holcomb, among many other elite athletes.
"I'm so relieved to have my Keratoconus stabilized. Dr. Boxer Wachler and his staff provided an outstanding experience. I was back to 100% of my normal routine the very next day," said Pham. "I felt completely comfortable going into the procedure, and couldn't be happier with the results! Best of all, I don't ever have to worry about having a corneal transplant in the future."
About the Holcomb C3-R® Procedure
Holcomb C3-R® works by increasing collagen crosslinking, which increases the cornea's mechanical strength, thus preventing the cornea from further bulging out and causing more vision loss, which is caused by Keratoconus. When indicated, patients can elect to combine the Holcomb C3-R® treatment with corneal implants called Intacs that help flatten the Keratoconus cone even more, a technique also pioneered by Dr. Boxer Wachler in 1999. In these cases, Intacs help treat pre-existent Keratoconus steepening. To learn more about Keratoconus, Dr. Boxer Wachler or Holcomb C3-R®, please visit www.KeratoconusInserts.com or visit his Facebook page.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brian Chui / LUCID Public Relations /510-207-9898 / Facebook / Twitter/ LinkedIn /YouTube
