Conductive Keratoplasty (CK)
Austin, Texas

• A crucial part of clear eyesight is the shape of the cornea, which is the curvature of the eye.
• Eyes are very similar to cameras.
• Light is reflected off objects, enters the eyes and continues through them to the interior back surface of the eye called the retina (camera film)
• Then, it forms a tiny upside-down image of the object it was reflected from.
• This information is sent from the optic nerve to the brain. It is then interpreted to determine what is being looked at.
• Usually, the brain supplies a name for the object that has just been seen.

Corneal Shape

If the cornea has a perfect shape, the light rays will come together to form the image directly on the retina, giving a clear image.
But if the cornea is too flat, the light rays will converge behind the retina, leaving a blurry image right on the retina. This is known as hyperopia (far-sightedness). The eye’s focusing ability may be intact, but it can’t compensate for the flatness of the cornea.
If the cornea is too steep, the image will form in front of the retina and again will look blurry to us and this is known as myopia (near-sightedness).

Errors of Refraction

Both hyperopia and myopia are errors of refraction. Refraction is the bending of light rays. In the context of our vision, it refers to how the light rays bend after entering our eyes. That bending is determined by the shape of our corneas and lenses.
When the corneas too flat, the light rays don’t bend enough to converge on the retina, but instead converge behind it. When the cornea is too steep, it causes the light rays to bend too sharply, so they converge too soon, in front of the retina.
The optic nerve receives the image directly from the retina. If the image isn’t on the retina, but in front of it or behind it, it is unclear. The result is a  blurry image.

Correcting Corneal Shape

LASIK eye surgery and its relatives such as epi-LASIK and LASEK use lasers to correct corneal shape in such a way that some vision problems are improved but not presbyopia. LASIK can correct:
Hyperopia
Myopia
Astigmatism (an unevenness in the corneal surface)

What is CK?

It’s a way of making the cornea more steep, using radio waves. A controlled frequency of energy is sent into the cornea via a tiny probe, and focused in a ring of tiny dots around the iris.
The radio energy tightens the corneal tissue at those spots, so that it forms a ring of tightened tissue, which makes the cornea more steep in the middle of the ring. It acts like a tightened belt.
The more farsighted a person is, the more tiny spots will be targeted, to create a steeper cornea
No tissue is removed
The procedure takes about 10 minutes per eye
There’s little or no discomfort although Dr. Howerton will offer “comfort drops”
Antibiotic drops will be needed for about a week afterwards to prevent infection
Vision is immediately improved, and may continue to improve for a couple of weeks

CK Candidates

Candidates would generally be:
Over 40
Mildly or moderately farsighted
Fed up with reading glasses
CK is a remedy for both hyperopia and presbyopia, which are both types of farsightedness, although they have different causes. It doesn’t matter if a person is hyperopic, because everyone becomes presbyopic with age. However, CK cannot treat severe farsightedness.

Presbyopia

The lens in the eye hardens with age, making it lose its ability to focus on objects that are near. The tiny muscles, which control the lens also weaken with age. Due to this aging process, vision is affected at near so people become dependant upon reading glasses.
In 1993, the FDA approved CK for the treatment of hyperopia. CK for presbyopia is an “off-label” surgical technique, which means it’s legal and appropriate, but not specifically what the FDA has approved.

Follow-up treatments

If hyperopia is treated with CK, there will be less dependence on reading glasses. Overall, there will be good vision for several years, but not permanently. That’s because of presbyopia.
CK can vastly improve vision, but as the eyes age, presbyopia may cause the need for further treatment. This is done by adding a few more spots to the ring of tightened tissue around the cornea.
If farsighted, over age 40, and you would like to rely less on reading glasses, CK could be the answer.
Contact us for your free consultation!  Dr. Howerton will not only talk with you about your options, he will do the procedure, and follow-up care to ensure your recovery.  He’ll also answer any questions you may have.