Conductive keratoplasty

Less-invasive surgical techniques are being preferred in the treatment of eye conditions such as myopia, hyperopia, and presbyopia. This paper discusses clinical studies of a technique that falls on this category called conductive keratoplasty (CK). The goal of the CK procedure is to produce minor corneal surface changes that result in a decreased local radius of curvature. This procedure uses radiofrequency currents in reshaping the cornea. The patients with hyperopia could, most of the time, notice near vision improvements immediately after the procedure. In most patients, far vision was not significantly affected. Presbyopes also noticed a significant improvement in near vision. Of over 100 patients enrolled in the clinical trial, 98% could see J5 (magazine- and newspaper-sized print) in the eye that was treated. Additionally, 87% of patients could see 20/20 in the distance and also read J3 or phonebook-sized print (significantly smaller than news print). As these results point to a promising future for CK, the procedure is being adopted by an increasing number of opthalmic surgery centers.