Vision Procedures - Refractive

Conductive Keratoplasty (CK)

Conductive Keratoplasty is a refractive procedure used to correct for presbyopia, the common vision problem that affects everyone over the age of 40. As we age, our eyes begin losing their ability to easily focus on near objects. The natural lens of the eye loses its flexibility and in turn, the eye loses its ability to focus light, thus causing difficulty in seeing objects up close, particularly as it relates to reading. This is often noticed when arms seem "too short" to read a newspaper or a menu in a restaurant. Conductive keratoplasty, or NearVision CK ® , is a simple, painless procedure that uses radiofrequency (RF) energy instead of a laser to gently reshape the cornea. It involves no cutting, is performed in the office, and takes only 3 to 5 minutes to perform. For NearVision CK ® , the surgeon uses a tiny probe no larger than the size of a human hair, to apply a controlled release of RF energy in a circular pattern around the cornea, avoiding the pupil entirely. The RF energy affects the collagen and causes the corneal tissue to shrink, similar to tightening a belt, thus steepening the shape of the cornea and allowing light to be refocused on the correct part of the retina. NearVision CK ® is typically only performed on one eye and your surgeon will discuss this based upon your test results.

What to expect the day of the procedure

Before the NearVision CK ® procedure, the only requirements are to not wear contact lenses up to three weeks prior to the surgery, and on the day of surgery do not wear makeup. You will also need to arrange transportation to and from our office. Your cornea will be mapped to determine its current and individual shape. This test will be used by your surgeon to plan the procedure and measure results. The surgery is performed in our office surgical suite. Numbing eye drops will be applied as an anesthetic. The surgeon will place an instrument on your eye to imprint a treatment pattern with a rinse-away dye. The surgeon will then apply the tiny probe along this pattern and deliver the necessary RF energy to the cornea. After the procedure, you may elect to wear dark glasses, but there is generally no need to wear a patch. As with other vision procedures, patients report some discomfort and light sensitivity for a few days following the surgery. You can return to your normal activities almost immediately, however, we recommend that you refrain from any close up work that would require intense focusing immediately after your procedure. Most patients require up to several weeks to realize the full effect of the procedure and occasionally, an enhancement may be required to achieve the desired vision.