SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
October 5, 1998
LCA-Vision Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)
Delaware 0-27610 11-2882328
(State or other jurisdiction (Commission (IRS Employer
of incorporation) File No.) Identification Number)
7840 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (513)792-9292
N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
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Item 5. Other Events
On October 5, 1998, the Registrant issued the attached press release
announcing that procedure volume at its centers rose again in the
third quarter ended September 30, 1998.
Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits
(a) Exhibits
99.1 Press Release dated October 5, 1998
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
LCA-VISION INC.
Date: October 5, 1998 By:/s/Larry P. Rapp
Larry P. Rapp,
Chief Financial Officer
<PAGE>
Exhibit 99.1
Headline: ----------------------------------------------
Contacts: Dr. Stephen N. Joffe Ken DiPaola
or Larry P. Rapp or Joel Pomerantz
LCA-Vision Inc. The Dilenschneider Group, Inc.
(513) 792-9292 (212) 922-0900
LCA-VISION REPORTS RECORD 6,093 LASER VISION CORRECTION PROCEDURES
IN THIRD QUARTER, UP 122 PERCENT OVER YEAR AGO
Original, Wholly-Owned U.S. Centers Post 144% Gain
Profitability Remains on Track
CINCINNATI, October 5, 1998 ---LCA-Vision Inc. (NASDAQ:LCAV),
one of the largest U.S.-based providers of laser vision correction
services, today reported that procedure volume at its centers rose
again in the third quarter ended September 30, 1998, to a record
6,093 procedures, up 122 percent from the 2,749 procedures performed
a year ago in the same quarter. Through the first three quarters of
1998, LCA-Vision centers have now performed a record 16,280
procedures versus 6,412 procedures for the first nine months of
1997.
Excluding the centers acquired in August, 1997 from Summit
Technology, third-quarter volume at LCA-Vision's original,
wholly-owned U.S. locations grew at an even faster pace, up 144
percent to 3,523 procedures compared with 1,445 for the same centers
a year ago.
Profitability on Track
"We continue to anticipate achieving better than break-even
operating results for the balance of 1998, with positive earnings
per share beginning in the first quarter of 1999," said LCA-Vision
Chairman and CEO Dr. Stephen N. Joffe.
LASIK Continues To Drive Demand
Commenting on the sustained quarterly growth in procedure
volume, he added: "Despite the summer vacation break for patients
and physicians, alike, we again maintained the strong upward trend
in procedure volume growth. Demand for laser vision correction is
being fueled by the popularity of LASIK and enthusiastic patient
word-of-mouth advertising. LASIK, the newest laser vision
correction procedure, virtually eliminates any discomfort and
shortens recovery time to a matter of days instead of weeks. Most
patients can already see the improvement in their vision as the
procedure is finished."
LCA-Vision, which operates laser vision correction centers in
the U.S., Canada, and Europe, is supported by network of 600
physicians and 800 referring optometrists. Since inception, more
than 38,000 laser vision correction procedures have been performed
at the company's centers.
LCA-Vision also manages laser, and minimally invasive,
multi-specialty programs for major hospitals across the country.
Safe Harbor Statement: This release contains forward-looking
statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including,
but not limited to, the impact of competition and pricing, procedure
demand and marketplace acceptance, and unforeseen fluctuations in
operating results and other risks detailed from time to time in the
company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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October 5, 1998
