Conductive Keratoplasty vs. Clear Lens Exchange

    CHICAGO, IL, January 31, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- About Conductive Keratoplasty (CK)
Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) is a non-laser vision correction procedure that uses radiofrequency energy to reshape the contours of your eye. It was originally designed to treat farsightedness (hyperopia), but is now also used to treat astigmatism (blurred vision) and presbyopia (gradual loss of near vision).

The Procedure
Less invasive that LASIK surgery, CK takes less than three minutes and is conducted in the office. A topical eye drop is placed in your eye to numb it, and a speculum is inserted to hold your eye open.

With a probe thinner than a strand of human hair, low energy radio waves are then used to reshape your cornea. This is done in a circular pattern, which acts like a belt that tightens and steepens the shape of your cornea. By increasing its curvature and altering the way light rays enter your eye, your near vision can be restored. You will be able to return to work the following day, and you will notice improvements to your vision in a week or so.

Am I a candidate?
You may be a good candidate for CK if you:

-- Are at least 40 years old
-- Have mild hyperopia (farsigntedness)
-- Have had good distance vision your entire life but now need reading glasses
-- Want to reduce your dependence on reading glasses after developing presbyopia
-- Have astigmatism (blurred vision)

Clear Lens Exchange (CLE)
Clear Lens Exchange (CLE) also known as Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE), is a surgical procedure designed to give you a sharper focus and eliminate your need for glasses or contacts. CLE is more invasive than CK and is designed for patients with more severe vision problems. This procedure corrects your vision by removing your eye's natural lens and replacing it with an artificial one called an Intraocular Lens (IOL).

Intraocular Lenses
In years' past, only single-focus IOLs were available, which did not allow you to see clearly when shifting focus from objects at a distance to objects up close.

As IOLs developed, multifocal and accommodating lenses were introduced, allowing you to see objects clearly between distances without losing focus.

Several of today's IOLs include:

-- Crystalens - This IOL replaces your natural lens and attaches to the same tiny ciliary muscles that allow you to change focus when viewing different distances. Your natural lens changes its curvature when switching between distances; steeply curved for close viewing and flatter for seeing at a distance. The Crystalens moves forward and backward to replicate this curvature, though you will never feel it.

-- ReZoom - Instead of attaching to your cillary muscles, this multifocal IOL provides sharp vision with its design and structure. ReZoom is made with five concentric zones, each one differently refracting the light that enters your eye from an object.

-- ReSTOR - This multifocal IOL is made with a special proprietary acrylic substance called AcrySof. Like the ReZoom lens, ReSTOR has different concentric areas that refract light differently so that you can see clearly at every distance.

Am I a Good Candidate?
You may be a good candidate for CLE if you:

-- Are over 40 years of age
-- Want to free your dependence from glasses or contacts
-- Has severe myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsigntedness)
-- Has severe myopia or hyperopia in addition to early cataracts
-- Would like to treat presbyopia (progressive vision loss) with an IOL
-- Need an alternative to LASIK

If you would like to learn more about CK or CLE, please visit the website of Chicago area eye surgeon at Doctors for Visual Freedom today.

Website: http://www.doctorsforvisualfreedom.com

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