CINCINNATI—LCA-Vision Inc. (Nasdaq: LCAV) announced the resignation of Alan H. Buckey, the company’s executive vice president of finance and CFO. Michael J. Celebrezze has been named interim CFO, effective at the close of business Wednesday.

Since July 2007, Celebrezze served on the executive management team as senior vice president of finance and treasurer, having joined LCA-Vision in July 2006 as VP of finance and treasurer.

In other news, LCA-Vision Inc.’s total procedure volume for the second quarter of 2008 is expected to be down by some 40 percent compared with the same period last year, according to an update on the company's business and a review of market conditions. The sluggish economy and recent FDA hearings on Lasik procedures are having an adverse affect on LCA-Vision’s business, according to the company.

"Macro-economic conditions continue to negatively impact consumer confidence and discretionary spending, leading to continued softness in LasikPlus appointments by prospective patients and disappointing show rates," said Steven C. Straus, chief executive officer of LCA-Vision. "We also believe that media coverage leading up to and following the April 25, 2008 Food and Drug Administration Ophthalmic Devices Panel negatively impacted our business in May and June. Our total procedure volume for the second quarter of 2008 is expected to be down approximately 40 percent compared with the second quarter of 2007.

"On the positive side, IntraLase is available in 73 of our 76 LasikPlus vision centers and month-to-date is being utilized in about 69 percent of our procedures, up from 55 percent in March," Straus said. "We continue to expand our market presence, and have plans to open our 77th and 78th LasikPlus vision centers during the third quarter, which will bring our 2008 new center openings to six. We also plan to relocate three or four older locations by the end of this year. We are committed to success at each LasikPlus vision center and have no plans at this time to close any facility.

"Our management team has been working collaboratively with constituents throughout the company and our external business partners to make the best decisions in each market, and we are implementing initiatives at the center level to optimize our performance," said Straus.

According to Anthony Woods, LCA-Vision's Chairman, "The LCA-Vision Board of Directors strongly supports the executive management team in affirming the strategic direction of the company. We are committed to our business model and our strategy.”