CK Conductive
Keratoplasty
What is CK?
How does CK work?
Will CK work for me?
What happens during the procedure?
Will I feel any discomfort?
Can I drive immediately after CK?
What can I expect after the procedure?
When can I return to work?
Has CK been properly tested?
What can I expect from CK?
Is CK reversible?
Are there any risks
or side-effects of CK?
What
does CK cost?
Do
I need both eyes treated?
Will
I have CK during my initial consultation?
A patient enjoying the results |
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CK reading vision
How can you get rid of your reading glasses?
Have you ever left home without your reading glasses and had to struggle with simple near tasks? If you are unable to read your watch, mobile phone messages, or prices when shopping without glasses, C.K. may be for you. |
C.K. can restore effortless day to day reading ability, simply,
safely and without scalpels or lasers. If you have had normal
vision all your life until your mid-forties, when you started
to need reading glasses, then CK may be for you.
What is CK?
Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) is a U.S. FDA approved procedure
designed to treat farsightedness and presbyopia (the need for
reading glasses) without using scalpel blades or laser. The
CK treatment uses safe radiofrequency (RF) energy to remodel
the cornea and provide near vision.
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The
treatment takes just a few minutes to perform, as a tiny
probe is placed on the cornea producing a subtle increase
in curvature to correct your vision.
There are three conditions which can be significantly
reduced, or abolished, by CK. |
Presbyopia:
With increasing age, the natural lens inside the eye becomes
stiffer, causing more and more difficulty with focus for near.
This usually happens to people in their late-forties.
Long-sightedness (or hyperopia):
Those people born with a short eyeball must use their natural
lens to focus even for distance, and often used glasses from
childhood.
Astigmatism:
The cornea, which is the transparent part of the eye in front
of the iris, or coloured part, must be perfectly hemispherical
in shape to allow light to pass through it without distortion.
Many people have corneas of oval section which are not hemispherical,
and need conventional glasses neutralizing this effect.
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CK,
by fractionally altering the shape of the cornea, can
neutralize these three optical defects and eliminate the
need to wear glasses. |
It does this through the application of tiny pulses of radio
frequency energy applied by the gentle touch of a small probe
applied to the edge of the cornea, away from its centre, the
“seeing” area, as opposed to laser surgery, which
cuts into this vital optical region.
How does CK work?
The human eye works like a camera. The lens in a camera
focuses light images onto film. In the same way, the cornea
focuses light images onto the retina, at the back of the eye.
Blurred vision occurs when the light does not focus precisely
on the retina.
CK is specifically designed to treat hyperopia and presbyopia.
Hyperopia (farsightedness) is an eye condition where people
may see objects better in the distance than near. Presbyopia
is a condition which occurs in mid to late-40’s, when
it becomes difficult to focus on near objects, like menus, computers,
prices when shopping and reading.
CK improves near vision in presbyopia and distance vision in
hyperopia by steepening the cornea and making it a stronger
lens.
CK reshapes the cornea without changing any other parts of the
eye.
Will CK work for me?
If you are 45 or older, have enjoyed
good vision without glasses for most of your life and now
need glasses just for reading, you have presbyopia and you
are likely to be a suitable candidate for CK.
If you had good distance vision without
glasses as a young adult, but then you needed glasses for
distance and later reading, you are most likely farsighted
or hyperopic. You may also find that CK works for you.
In order to determine whether CK will
provide the effortless day to day vision that you are looking
for you must have several different eye tests performed in
the office, before deciding to go ahead with the procedure.
What happens during
the procedure?
CK is performed at the Williamstown Eye Centre, and does not
require admission to hospital.
You will have anaesthetic eye drops put in your eyes so that
you do not feel any discomfort during the procedure. You will
need to look directly at the target light of the operating
microscope which is very bright, but safe for the eye. A small
instrument supports your eyelids to help you keep them open
for the few minutes that it takes to perform CK, and you will
hear a series of beeps as the treatment takes place. After
some antibiotic and anti inflammatory drops, you are ready
to go home.
Will I feel any discomfort?
Patients report that their CK was
a painless procedure, but some are aware of pressure, and
others say that they found that the microscope light was very
strong.
Can I drive immediately after CK?
As your vision takes time to adjust
immediately after CK, you should arrange for a friend or family
member to drive you home.
What can I expect after the procedure?
You will have a gritty sensation
in your eyes for the first day or so after the procedure.
Most patients experience only mild irritation on the first
night after the procedure, although a few patients require
analgesic tablets for 24 hours as the eyes become comfortable
again. All patients are given a medication pack of two eye
drops to use for the first week after the procedure. Sunglasses
are useful during this time. You must NOT rub your eyes for
the first 5 days. Some patients report mild blurring or ghosting
of the vision in the distance especially at night, but this
always steadily improves over a few weeks after the procedure.
When can I return to work?
Some patients can return to work
the day after CK, but many like to have a few days off and
this is recommended.
Has CK been properly tested?
Yes. The FDA in the United States
has performed extensive trials on CK, and it has concluded
that CK is one of the safest of all refractive surgical procedures.
What can I expect from CK?
After CK, patients enjoy good,
practical, day to day vision without corrective lenses most
of the time. However, it is important to have realistic expectations
and glasses may still be needed for fine print or very detailed
work especially in poor lighting conditions. As with any refractive
procedure, CK cannot guarantee perfect results. Some patients
might wish to see the scoreboard from the other end of the
stadium during a night game, or tee off at dawn for a game
of golf. In situations such as these you require very precise
vision, and you may find that the occasional wearing of glasses
or contact lenses helpful under these circumstances.
Is CK reversible?
CK is not reversible. However,
in the unlikely event that CK does not work for you, your
vision will still be able to be corrected with glasses or
contact lenses as before.
Are there any risks or side-effects
of CK?
Any refractive procedure carries potential risks, however,
as stated above, the U.S. FDA found CK to be one of the safest
of all refractive procedures. CK might not work for you, but
this is very unlikely and you would then need to wear glasses
or contact lenses again as before. CK does not cut or remove
any tissue from the eye and therefore it is very safe. There
is a theoretical risk of infection, but antibiotic drops are
given before and after the procedure, and Dr.
Stubbs examines your eyes several times during the normal
post operative aftercare period.
During the first week or so after the procedure you may experience
some pain, discomfort, blurry vision, tearing, or light sensitivity.
Some patients may experience fluctuation in their vision throughout
the day. You may be nearsighted for the first few months after
CK, but this is mild and temporary, and can be treated with
glasses or contact lenses for certain tasks such as driving.
Some patients also experience an increase in astigmatism,
which may affect their vision, but similarly this fades spontaneously
over a few months and can be treated with an enhancement procedure
if required, at no extra cost to the patient.
What does CK cost?
CK can be performed for a total package fee
of $1,800 per eye. This includes the cost of the initial consultation
and all eye examinations and testing. It includes a repeat
assessment, the procedure itself and all aftercare including
any enhancement during the first 3 months.
Finance packages and terms are available on request.
Do I need both eyes treated?
Patients who see well without glasses for their distance
vision, and wish to reduce their dependence on reading glasses
for near, only need CK in one eye.
Patients who are long-sighted and need glasses for
both distance and near, will need both eyes treated.
Will I have CK
during my initial consultation?
No, not unless special arrangements have been made
and preliminary measurements made elsewhere. If you are suitable
and you would like to consider proceeding with CK, we will
make another appointment for further measurements and thoroughly
examine your eyes with dilating drops, in order to assess
and discuss your own particular needs to ensure that you will
be pleased with the results of your CK procedure.
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