The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new treatment for farsightedness known as conductive keratoplasty, according to the manufacturer, Refractec Inc., of Irvine, California.
The technique uses radiofrequency energy to shrink small areas of the cornea, the transparent coat on the surface of the eyeball. Unlike laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), in which the surface of the eye is reshaped using a laser, conductive keratoplasty does not require cutting or tissue removal.
The treatment may become the preferred method of correcting farsightedness in older patients.
The average age of patients who undergo LASIK is in the early 40s, while for conductive keratoplasty, the average age for patients has been 58. LASIK is approved for higher degrees of farsightedness and astigmatism, which is blurry vision usually caused by an uneven curvature of the cornea.
Conductive keratoplasty could also be safer for patients with glaucoma because keratoplasty does not require the temporary elevation of pressure within the eye that is induced during LASIK. Glaucoma is a disease characterized by vision loss due to abnormally high pressure within the eye.
Reuters New York, April 17, 2002
Anytime one relies on a surgical solution there is potential for irreversible permanent harm and damage. Although the complication rate of this surgery is certainly low with skilled clinicians, it is still possible to lose your sight completely and require a corneal transplant.
Most of us will or have experienced the vision failure that seems to occur when one approaches 45 years old. This is called presbyopia or far sightedness.
I started to experience this a few years ago. My vision started to progressively decrease to the point where I needed to wear glasses to read the menu in a restaurant at night.
Fortunately I was able to find a solution that seems to have improved my vision to the point where I do not require the use of glasses.
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