If you are over forty and now have to wear reading glasses to see up close you have probably developed presbyopia or age-related farsightedness. Presbyopia is the inevitable loss of near vision at or around the age of forty and affects millions of Americans. NearVisionSM CK® is the ONLY FDA-Approved procedure to reduce your dependence on reading glasses.
The CK® (conductive keratoplasty) procedure is usually performed only on patients that already have good distance vision without glasses or contact lenses, but have to wear reading glasses. This means that the patient does not have any significant levels of myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), or astigmatism. If you have already had LASIK or PRK to correct your distance vision and now have to wear reading glasses, CK® may be an option for you, as well. If you are over forty and have trouble with both distance and near vision, you may want to be evaluated for monovision LASIK. Click here to learn more. Your pre-operative examination will determine if CK® is the best procedure to eliminate your reading glasses.
CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty) is an extremely safe and minimally invasive procedure because it uses radio frequency waves to gently reshape the cornea. There is no cutting and no tissue is removed from the treated eye. There were NO adverse safety events in the FDA-clinical trials. Radio frequency energy is one of today's most advanced surgical technologies. In addition to its use in CK®, radio frequency technology is being used in prostate cancer therapy, back surgery, and even in cardiovascular procedures.
Usually only performed on one eye, CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty) produces "blended" vision, which allows you to maintain your distance vision while your near vision is improved. It is a gentler form of monovision correction, where one eye is used for distance vision and the treated eye is used for near vision. Unlike traditional monovision systems, CK® produces a bell-like shape in the cornea which helps maintain depth perception, multi-focality and distance vision.
Using a probe thinner than a strand of human hair, CK® applies radio waves in a circular pattern on the outer cornea to shrink small areas of collagen. This shrinkage pattern creates a constrictive band (like the tightening of a belt), increasing the overall curvature of the cornea to bring near vision back into focus. The CK® procedure is painless and takes just a few minutes to perform.
The FDA clinical trials of NearVisionSM CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty) showed outstanding results!
The CK® procedure is designed to get you out of your reading glasses for functional near vision on a daily basis, but is not designed to completely eliminate the need for reading glasses. In other words, after CK® you may be able to write a check, read your watch, read a menu, see your computer, peruse the newspaper, and be able to check a price tag without wearing reading glasses. On the other hand, you still may need to wear a pair of reading glasses to read extremely fine print, to read for a long period of time, or to read in poor lighting conditions. You also may want to keep in mind that we can turn back the clock, but we can't keep it from ticking. The CK procedure will require tune-ups anywhere from a year to five years after your surgery.
Take the following self-test. If the majority of your answers match our answers, you may be a good candidate for CK®, but we can't tell you with certainty until you have a full eye examination with our surgeon in which testing is done to ensure your eyes are sufficiently healthy and determines your appropriateness for the CK® procedure.
I understand that if I am pregnant or nursing I cannot have the CK® procedure until at least three months after completing pregnancy or until three months after I stop nursing.
Please remember that if one or more of your answers did not match the given answer, you still may be a candidate for NearVision CK®. We can only determine your true candidacy with a thorough pre-examination. Pregnancy or nursing is the only factor that completely rules out candidacy for CK® without being seen by an eye M.D.
At the Alaska Lasik Center, we offer several educational opportunities for our patients so that they can make an informed decision as to whether CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty) is appropriate for them. You will also receive an abundance of information from the moment you contact our office.
We offer seminars on a regular basis to inform the public about CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty). This seminar is accompanied by a Question/Answer session with Dr. Coulter, the medical director of Alaska Lasik Center. Click here to see dates and times and/or sign up for a seminar.
The free consultation is a learning opportunity for potential patients. You will be seen by one of our certified ophthalmic assistants who will be happy to explain the procedures and answer any questions you may have. The free consultation will be able to tell you which procedures you may be a candidate for, but we cannot tell whether or not you will be a good candidate for CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty) until you have a comprehensive pre-examination with our surgeon, Dr. Coulter. Simply click here to contact us and indicate you would like a free consultation OR CALL Toll Free: 866-579-8207 Local: 907-569-1551 to set up an appointment!
If you are considering CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty), the first step is scheduling a pre-examination to evaluate your candidacy. Call Toll Free: 866-579-8207 Local: 907-569-1551 to set up an appointment.
Pre-exams are done on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The pre-examination is performed by our surgeon, Dr. Coulter, who is assisted by our Certified Ophthalmic Assistants. The pre-examination involves a complete eye examination with dilation drops, auto-refraction, glasses testing (please bring them), eye laser scanning, manual manifest refraction and numerous other studies. This will be a little longer than most eye exams you may have had in the past (usually 1 1/2 to 2 hours). We recommend arranging transportation because after dilation your near vision will be blurry and your eyes will be sensitive to light. The pre-examination will tell you with a certainty whether you are a good candidate for CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty).
Scheduling a pre-examination does not oblige you to have any procedure. Our philosophy encompasses the belief that the CK® procedure is not for everyone. At no time will anyone pressure a patient into any form of surgery. This needs to be a comfortable evaluation and exchange between our clinical team and you. You will have ample opportunity to discuss your options and ask questions during the examination process with the surgeon. If you wish, you can obtain a prescription from this exam. You have three months after the exam to decide whether you would like to proceed with a procedure. After three months we would have to re-examine you before being able to proceed with surgery.
Oftentimes, at the time you schedule for your pre-examination, we will ask you if you would like to set up a tentative surgery date. This is simply for convenience in scheduling. You may schedule your procedure at any time before or after your pre-examination. We perform procedures every Thursday and Friday in order to offer the most flexibility to patients. All procedures are performed here in our office's state-of-the-art operating room for your convenience. Post-operative examinations generally occur the day after surgery as well as a week, a month, and three months after surgery. Dr. Coulter personally performs all examinations, ensuring the best possible outcomes!
If you are a candidate for CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty) and you choose to proceed, please keep in mind that if you wear contact lenses, they will need to be out for a certain period of time prior to your procedure. It helps to have them out prior to the pre-examination, but is not necessary. Soft contacts and soft-toric lenses need to be out for two weeks and hard lenses must be out for at least four weeks before surgery.
Please arrange transportation for the day of surgery and for your 24 hour post-operative appointment following the day of surgery. You will receive a prescription for an antibiotic drop at your pre-operative examination. You will need to bring this with your on your day of surgery.
On the day of your surgery your face and body should be clean and dry. Absolutely no make up, perfume, cologne, hair spray, deodorant, etc. We also recommend avoiding alcohol and caffeinated beverages for 24 hours prior to and 48 hours following your surgery, as this tends to dehydrate the tissues and can delay the healing process.
Wear comfortable clothing on your surgery day. Avoid clothing, such as wool, that may generate lint in the surgical suite. In consideration of others, and to ensure that your visit is as comfortable as possible, please do not bring young children with you on your surgery day.
Lastly, depending on your occupation, you may need to arrange to be away from work for up to four days following your surgery.
Click here to see the full Surgery Day Instructions. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this document.
The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis at the clinic on Thursdays and Fridays. On the day of your surgery you can expect to be here for approximately two hours. You will go through a counseling session with our surgical counselor, during which you will sign consent forms and receive instructions for your post-operative care. Your eyes will be checked one more time prior to the procedure. You will be offered a mild sedative, such as Valium or Ativan, to help you relax during the procedure The next step is surgery, which generally requires 20 minutes of operating room time; the procedure itself takes about three minutes per eye treated. The actual duration of the procedure may vary according to the amount of correction needed.
Before the procedure begins, you will be given eye drops to numb your eye(s). While you relax on the treatment chair, your eyelids are gently held open. You will be asked to focus on a special fixation light in a microscope. The surgeon then stamps a circular treatment pattern on the cornea using rinse-away ink to guide the treatment. The probe, thinner than a strand of human hair, is then introduced into the cornea in the circular treatment pattern. After the procedure we ask you to stay and rest for 15-30 minutes to be sure you are feeling okay before going home.
The CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty) procedure offers extremely fast recovery. We ask you to go home and rest after surgery. Most patients start to experience discomfort when the numbing drops wear off. It helps if you can sleep or at least keep your eyes closed. We give you drops to use to ease discomfort for the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery. Cold and hot compresses also ease the discomfort. Most patients are able to resume most day-to-day activities just 24 hours after the surgery. Your first follow-up exam is normally the morning after surgery. Please arrange transportation for this appointment as it is illegal for you to drive until your vision is confirmed. Most patients are approved to drive at the one-day follow-up exam. Your surgeon may prescribe eye drops for one or two weeks after surgery. You must also wear eye shields at night to prevent rubbing your eyes for the first week.
Please keep in mind that you should not drive for at least 24 hours after the procedure and in no event should you drive until your vision is clear.
4. After the Procedure
Your follow-up care is as important as the actual procedure. Please remember to schedule and attend all of your follow-up appointments.
During the counseling session on surgery day we give you a bag with safety-sunglasses, eyeshields for night-time eye protection, anti-inflammatory eye drops, and a sheet with post-operative instructions for your drops and activities. Please wear the sunglasses we provide you, as most other varieties do not provide adequate protection. Follow the eye drop regimen recommended by the surgeon. Your first mandatory post-operative appointment will take place at the clinic within 24 hours following your surgery. Your appointment time will be given to you during the counseling session prior to surgery, but usually occurs the morning after surgery, bright and early.
You are required to attend at least 3 additional post-operative appointments. Post-operative examinations for CK® are required at approximately one week, one month, and three months from the date of surgery. Each post-operative appointment takes approximately 15-30 minutes and is usually scheduled on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. It helps us evaluate and monitor the healing process of your eyes and guards against infection.
What should I expect after the procedure?
The following symptoms are normal after CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty), and will subside with time:
When can I return to my normal activities?
Most patients feel well enough to work and/or drive after one or two days. If you are unsure, just call our office with your questions. However, there a few guidelines you should also follow:
What do Alaska Lasik Center patients say about CK®?
“After 10 years of the aggravation associated with reading glasses, it would be an understatement to say 'Good Riddance!' No more glasses on, glasses off, drop them out of your pocket, break them, lose them, buy a pair for your car, work, garage, plane, truck. Enough said. . . I could NOT be happier. . . Money well spent!” - Anonymous
“I was very pleased with CK®. I am so glad they came up with something for ”old eyes.” I like being able to read again without glasses.” - Melody Carle
“I am very pleased with the results of my CK® surgery. I no longer need reading glasses and now am able to tease my wife who still does!”“ - Louis A. Bullock
“If I had to do it over again, I would. Being glasses-free has been a new experience for me. No more taking them off and putting them on whenever I look at work instructions and then having to do the task!” - Randy Graham
“Since coming to the Alaska Lasik Center, my far vision is great and my close-up vision is about 90%. I do enjoy being able to see again and thank all of your great staff.” - Jess Hansen
“Very thorough consultation to evaluate my suitability for the CK® procedure followed by a lengthy talk with Dr. Coulter, who explained the risks, possible downside and benefits of the procedure. VERY, very informative. The procedure went exactly as described and the recovery was fairly quick. I did experience some irritation and watering of the eyes, but otherwise it was a non-event. Since having the CK® procedure I've noticed a significant reduction in headaches and thoroughly enjoy seeing/reading without the bother of glasses. I would recommend the procedure without reservation!” - D. Neil Magee
You can learn more about the CK® (Conductive Keratoplasty) procedure at the American Academy of Ophthalmology website by clicking here. Other great resources are the Refractec websites (the company that created the ViewPoint CK® System) www.refractec.com, www.CKforMe.com and www.MyClearVision.com. Call us at Toll Free: 866-579-8207 Local: 907-569-1551 to learn more or set up an appointment! You can also click here to contact us or request further information.