Hindsight is 20/20; Foresight is Worth Its Weight in Gold: Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler Restores Vision of U.S. Bobsled World Champion, Steve Holcomb, Allowing Him to Compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - U.S. Olympic Bobsled pilot Steve Holcomb has had his eyes set on an Olympic gold medal for years; unfortunately and quite literally, this dream was almost shattered by a degenerative eye disease leaving Holcomb nearly blind. Thanks to world renowned corneal surgeon Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler, however, the gold is finally in Holcomb's line of sight.

Along with the support of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the U.S. Bobsled Federation, Holcomb decided to take a chance on two breakthrough procedures known as C3-R corneal collagen cross-linking and Visian ICL which were pioneered by Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler specifically for Holcomb's eye condition. The procedures were relatively new, and had their risks, but also had the potential to restore Holcomb's vision and allow him to continue competing in the sport he loved. A year later, Holcomb has a world championship under his belt and 20/20 vision.

Holcomb's vision had been severely impaired by a disease known as keratoconus, a condition that causes the cornea to bulge outward. Glasses and contact lenses had all failed to repair Holcomb's vision and his condition was getting worse. Lasik would not have been of any use. Nearly blind, Holcomb's hope of ever driving a bobsled again was looking dim. That's when the Olympic team discovered an eye surgeon and medical pioneer by the name of Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler.

Dr. Boxer Wachler determined Holcomb was a potential candidate for C3-R corneal collagen cross-linking and for the permanent corrective procedure known as Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) performed by embedding a contact lens behind the iris of each eye.

"Steve's passion for the sport was apparent from the moment I met him," says Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler, who currently operates out of his Beverly Hills office. "His vision was rapidly deteriorating, but we quickly deemed him as a potential candidate for C3-R to stabilize the keratoconus and Visian ICL to correct his vision. I am honored to have been able to help Steve finally achieve his dream of competing in the 2010 Olympics, and look forward to seeing him bring home the gold."

Performed in March 2008, Holcomb's $15,000 C3-R cross-linking and Visian ICL procedures were funded by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the U.S. Bobsled Federation. Immediately after the nine-minute Visian ICL procedure, Holcomb had perfect 20/20 vision. The success of the procedure allowed Holcomb to win the world championship which the U.S. hadn't won in last 50 years and continue going for the gold medal in 4-men bobsledding which the United States has not won since 1948.

"Now that I can see, things are starting to click," says Holcomb. "I already could feel out there on the track. It's like putting a face to a name now. Before, I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even play catch before. Now I can focus on what's important out there."

Thanks to Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler and the support of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the U.S. Bobsled Federation, the dream of bringing home the Olympic gold is in plain sight for the first time since 1948.

For more information please visit http://www.boxerwachler.com or http://www.KeratoconusInserts.com.

For media inquiries and/or to arrange an interview, please contact Tyler Barnett at 323.937.1951 or tyler@tylerbarnettpr.com.

Boxer Wachler Vision Institute
Tyler Barnett
Media Representative
Ph. 323-937-1951
Cel. 818-929-8166
Tyler@TylerBarnettPR.com