Avellino Lab (Menlo Park, Calif.) recently launched Avellino DNA Dual Test for LASIK Safety, a genetic test that can detect for both types of granular corneal dystrophy (GCD1 and GCD2). Patients with these corneal opacity conditions experience serious post-surgery vision complications. Such genetic testing is performed in the vast majority of patients prior to corrective laser surgery in parts of Asia, and the company hopes to make the test part of routine practice in the United States too. GCD1/2 usually develops slowly, but if a patient with the condition undergoes vision correction (LASIK, LASEK, PRT, phototherapeutic keratectomy, and corneal transplant), they are at extreme risk of experiencing eventual blindness. While physicians can diagnose the condition with visual examination and family history in some cases, physical symptoms of the condition may not be present until later in life, putting unsuspecting patients at risk if they undergo the surgery. There is no cure for GCD, but the Avellino DNA Dual Test can detect the presence of the genetic mutation, allowing the patient to take precautionary steps to postpone the progression of the condition, including forgoing vision correction surgery and using ultraviolet protective lenses. The test involves a cheek swab sample that is […]