Realistic Expections

The goal of any refractive procedure is to reduce your dependence on corrective lenses. Your doctor cannot guarantee your results. You will be given additional information about these procedures to help you make an informed decision. Be sure to have all of your questions answered to your satisfaction before proceeding. If you have a question, please feel free to contact our staff at 713.797.1500 or schedule a consultation by using the quick form on the right or by making an appointment.

Conductive keratoplasty (CK)

A procedure to reduce or eliminate reading glasses.

CK is a low risk, minimally invasive option for treating Presbyopia and/or farsightedness. CK uses the release of radio frequency energy to reshape the periphery of the cornea.

CK is performed using a small probe. Thinner than a strand of human hair, that releases radiofrequency 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.

Who should have CK?

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 over +3.00 diopters of farsightedness; have any chronic eye disorders; or who may be pregnant or nursing.

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Astigmatic Keratotomy (AK)

One of the earlier and widely accepted methods of correcting nearsightedness was call Radial Keatotomy (RK). For those patients who had astigmatism along with their nearsightedness, Astigmatic Keratotomy (AK) was also performed.

Astigmatism is caused by a cornea that is more curved (steeper) in one axis than the other, much like a football. This causes light to focus on more than one place on the retina, resulting in blurry or multiple images.

The AK procedure places arced incisions in the steeper axis (outside of the optical center of the cornea) causing the cornea to relax and become more spherical or round like a baseball. With a spherical cornea, light rays come to focus at one point on the retina, resulting in a clearer image.

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Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI)

Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI) are simpilar to AK incisions. The primary difference is in their placement on the cornea. Although they are still in the steeper axis, LRI incisions are placed much closer to the sclera (white part of the eye) on the part of the cornea called the limbus.

Incisional correction of astigmatism with AK and LRI is generally performed along with other types of surgery such as cataract surgery. They are also used to fine tune other surgeries in an effort to reduce or eliminate one’s dependence on glasses or contact lenses.

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Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA)

Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA) represents a surgical advancement over PRK, which was the original laser vision correction procedure, first approved by the FDA IN 1995. It combines certain elemens of both PRK and the more popular LASIK procedure and may offer some advantages over LASIK for certain patients. With ASA, instead of removing the epithelium, as with PRK, the flap of surface epithelium is loosened with a diluted alcohol solution and moved aside. The surface under the epithelium is treated with the laser and the epithelial flap is returned to its original position, as with LASIK. A protective, soft contact lens is then placed over the cornea to make the eye more comfortable while it heals.

The margin of safety with ASA is increased over LASIK as the need for the flap is eliminated. It usually takes from three to five days for the epithelium to fully heal.

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Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)

Refractive Lens Exchange corrects nearsightedness and farsightedness using an intraocular lens implant. RLE may be the procedure of choice for patients who are too nearsighted, too farsighted, or have corneas that are too thick for laser vision correction. It is also a viable alternative for those over the age of 40 and for those individuals who may be showing signs of developing cataracts.

Millions of eyes have received intraocular lens implants when undergoing cataract surgery, using the same highly successful surgical techniques used in RLE. The primary difference between cataract surgery and RLE is that cataract surgery is performed to remove a patient’s cloudy lens, and Refractive Lens Exchange is performed to reduce one’s dependence on glasses or contact lenses.

Performed as an outpatient procedure, the natural lens is removed using ultrasonic vibrations through a very small mircoincision and replaced through that same incision with an intraocular lens. You will remain comfortable as the eye is completely anesthetized. Everyone heals differently, but many patients report improvement in their vision almost immediately, and most resume their normal activities within a day or two. One eye is done at a time, and the second eye is usually done in a week or two.

For more information on Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) Click Here.