A Procedure to Reduce or Eliminate Reading Glasses
It is estimated that over 70 million Americans over the age of 40 are farsighted or have difficulty reading small print at close distances. CK (conductive keratoplasty) is a non-laser procedure for treating presbyopia and/or farsightedness (hyperopia).
Presbyopia is a condition caused by the inability of the lens inside the eye to change its shape, which allows younger eyes to shift focus back and forth, from distant objects to close objects. This ability to shift focus is called accommodation. Even those who have good distance vision when they are young will become presbyopic and require reading glasses or bifocals for close vision.
Farsightedness is caused by the cornea being too flat, relative to the length of the eye. Farsighted people can have difficulty seeing objects both far and near without corrective lenses.
Who should have NearVision CK?
NearVision CK is usually best suited for those who are over 40 years of age who had good vision until they reached their forties. It’s for people who don’t want to put up with the constant hassle of reading glasses or bifocals. It is not for those who have a moderate amount of farsightedness, those with astigmatism, or those who might have any chronic eye disorders. Approved by the FDA in 2002 after five years of successful clinical trials in the US and abroad, CK has proven to be a safe, effective alternative to laser surgery.
NearVision CK uses the controlled release of radio frequency energy to reshape the cornea. CK is performed using a small probe, thinner than a strand of human hair, that releases radio frequency energy. The probe is applied in a circular pattern to the inner corneal tissue to make it shrink. This circular shrinkage pattern creates a constrictive band, which steepens the curvature of the cornea and increases its focusing power. NearVision CK does not require a surgical facility and can be done in the office. The procedure is considered painless and takes only a few minutes to perform. Generally, only one eye is treated, the non-dominate eye as determined by office testing. Prior to your treatment, your eye will be completely numbed with eye drop anesthetic. Then you’ll be asked to look at a microscope light. Your eye will be marked with a series of dots. Your surgeon, Dr. Northam, will touch the dots with the probe, making a full circle around the outer margins of the cornea. There may be eight to 32 treatment points, depending on the amount of correction you need. Once finished, you don’t have to wear a patch and can most likely resume normal activities the day after your procedure. During the first 24 to 48 hours after the CK treatment, patients may experience a gritty or foreign body sensation, which is soothed by the eye drops your doctor will prescribe.
NearVision CK patients notice an improvement in their vision almost immediately and it will continue to improve over the next 3 to 4 weeks. In clinical studies performed by the FDA and completed in 2003, 98% of patients treated were able to read newspaper-sized print without glasses. Prior to surgery you will be required to have a complete CK evaluation which will better help Dr. Northam determine if NearVision CK is right for you.