LASIK alternative reshapes vision with electricity, not lasers

For millions of Americans, daily life involves coping with altered vision, from blurriness to complete blindness. Glasses and contact lenses offer solutions, yet many prefer not to rely on them.

In response, hundreds of thousands turn to corrective eye surgeries every year. Among the most common is LASIK, a laser-assisted procedure that reshapes the cornea to sharpen sight.

Why LASIK has limits

Although considered safe, LASIK comes with risks. Cutting into the cornea weakens the eye’s structure and can cause unwanted side effects. Researchers are now working on a way to reshape the cornea without any incisions at all.

Michael Hill, a professor of chemistry at Occidental College, is presenting this new work at the American Chemical Society’s Fall 2025 meeting.

“LASIK is just a fancy way of doing traditional surgery. It’s still carving tissue – it’s just carving with a laser,” said Hill. The new method asks a simple question: what if reshaping the cornea required no cutting?

Discovery of a LASIK alternative

Hill and collaborator Brian Wong, a professor and surgeon at the University of California, Irvine, are exploring electromechanical reshaping (EMR).

“The whole effect was discovered by accident. I was looking at living tissues as moldable materials and discovered this whole process of chemical modification,” noted Wong.

The team’s approach relies on the chemistry of collagen-rich tissues, which hold their shape through charged molecular bonds and high water content.

By applying an electric potential, the experts can temporarily loosen these bonds, making the tissue malleable. Restoring the original conditions then locks in the new form.

Electric reshaping on corneas

Electromechanical reshaping (EMR) was first tested on animal tissues like rabbit ears and pig skin, where it successfully reshaped cartilage and reduced scars. Because the cornea is also rich in collagen, the researchers saw it as an ideal next step.

The team designed platinum “contact lenses” that could act as electrodes, providing both a template for the desired curvature and a tool to deliver a controlled electric current.

In experiments, these lenses were placed on rabbit eyeballs immersed in a saline solution that mimicked natural tears. When a small electric charge was applied, the cornea softened and quickly molded itself to the shape of the lens.

Within just a minute, the cornea had adopted its new curvature. This was comparable in speed to LASIK surgery but did not involve cutting, required simpler tools, and avoided risks linked to incisions, making it a promising alternative for future vision correction.

Testing on rabbit eyes

The team ran trials on 12 rabbit eyeballs, simulating myopia in most of them. In every case, the treatment adjusted the focusing power toward clearer vision. The corneal cells survived, thanks to careful control of pH gradients.

Beyond vision correction, EMR showed potential in reversing certain types of corneal cloudiness. Currently, that condition can only be treated with a full transplant, making this approach especially promising.

Hurdles before human trials

Despite encouraging results, research on this LASIK alternative remains at an early stage. Wong emphasized that the next steps involve “the long march through animal studies that are detailed and precise,” including experiments on living rabbits.

The team also wants to map the full range of corrections EMR could offer, from astigmatism to farsightedness. But scientific funding uncertainties have slowed progress.

“There’s a long road between what we’ve done and the clinic. But, if we get there, this technique is widely applicable, vastly cheaper and potentially even reversible,” noted Hill.

Looking forward

If electromechanical reshaping proves successful, it could transform vision correction by eliminating the need for surgical cuts. The method uses electricity to gently reshape the cornea, offering a safer and less invasive option.

Unlike LASIK, it may lower risks and reduce costs. This innovation has the potential to make clearer vision accessible to more people while preserving the eye’s natural strength and structure.

Ultimately, the study represents a shift in how vision correction could be approached in the future.

The research was supported by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health and the John Stauffer Charitable Trust.

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