Are you over the age of 40 and becoming frustrated with increasing farsightedness? This condition, known as Presbyopia, occurs when the lens of the eye becomes rigid and loses its ability to change shape and focus on objects closer than three feet away. Millions of people in the United States suffer from some form of presbyopia and could benefit from correction.

The cause of presbyopia is simply age-related and is not a function of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism in any way. The most common theory about the cause of presbyopia is that over time, the flexibility inside the eye deteriorates, resulting in blurry vision. Proteins in the lens of the eye also contribute to this hardening effect.

In April of 2002, the FDA announced its approval of Conductive keratoplasty (CK). Developed by Refractec , this procedure is meant for the temporary reduction of farsightedness (between +0.75 to +3.25 diopters) in those 40 years of age or older.  CK uses radiofrequency energy to heat and shrink corneal tissue, which steepens the cornea and reduces farsightedness. Heat is applied to the cornea using a radio frequency probe, for approximately 3 minutes per eye.

To be a candidate for conductive keratoplasty (CK), you must be at least 21 years of age, have not had a drastic change in vision or prescription within the last year, have no eye conditions such as severe dryness, glaucoma, herpes of the eye, aggressive keloid formation, and keratoconus. You may not be a candidate if you have diabetes, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or suffer from autoimmune or vascular disease.

As with any elective surgery, becoming as informed as possible about all of your options and risks and finding the most experienced surgeon is your most important task.