Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) Vision Correction
Is CK for You?
Overview of CK Procedure and Results
Frequent Questions About CK
Free Screening
Is CK for You?
- Do you struggle to do close tasks such as reading the newspaper, a menu in a restaurant, seeing your computer, etc?
- Are you over 40?
- Have you had great distance vision all your life without glasses or contacts?
- Do you hate your reading glasses?
If you answer yes to the above, you may be a good candidate for CK. For a full assessment, schedule a free screening:
Call 248.852.3636 or
1.800.652.EYES (3937)
Overview of CK Procedure and Results
- CK uses safe radiowaves, not a laser, to steepen the cornea. Safe radio-frequency waves gently re-shape the cornea without cutting or removing tissue.
- CK is an outpatient procedure; takes about 5 minutes per eye; recovery is quick; most patients are back to their normal routine in just 24-48 hours.
- Dr. Frank Derr, Dr. Thomas Millman and Dr. Snigda Singh are our CK surgeons. They've performed thousands of refractive procedures, and are the first surgeons in North Oakland and Macomb County to offer CK. Several of our staff have had CK and love it!
- Following CK, on average most patients are able to go from reading 26 point type (newspaper headlines) to reading 7 point type (newspaper print or smaller) without their glasses. We'll show you our specific results and demonstrate this at your consultation.
- CK is an elective procedure and financing is available. Credit cards accepted.
Frequent Questions About CK
What is CK?
CK is a procedure that uses radio waves to steepen the cornea. That is what you need to help restore your reading vision.
 How is it done?
Drs. Millman and Derr are our CK surgeons. They use a small instrument, less than the diameter of a human hair, to place a number of spots around the perimeter of your eye. The area tightens where the spots are placed. It is like a belt tightening around your cornea to steepen it.
Does it hurt?
No. We use numbing drops, and most people say they didn't feel anything other than a bit of pressure as the spots are placed.
Is it safe?
CK is remarkably safe. Because the spots are placed around the periphery of your eye, there is never any treatment through the visual axis. And because there is no cutting and no tissue removal, infection does not appear to be an issue.
Does it work?
It works really great. On average, our patients are able to go from reading what we call 26pt type (that's newspaper headlines), to reading 7pt type (newspaper print or smaller.) We'll show you our specific results at your free consultation.
Does it last?
The truth is, we don't know yet. This procedure has been performed internationally for six years, and was in US FDA trials for 2 years before being approved in the US in April 2003. In the FDA trial, 92% of the effect held through the 2-year study. But, we are tightening collagen, and we know that collagen does tend to relax over time. We're advising our patients that they'll probably outgrow the procedure due to the eye's aging process, and may need additional spots in 5-7 years, depending on your age and visual requirements.
What's the recovery time?
You'll be at our center for one hour on procedure day. The actual spots take about 5 minutes per eye to place. Unlike LASIK, there is a more gradual healing time with CK. If you have your procedure on a Friday, you'll notice a little scratchiness that first 24-36 hours. You'll be back at work on Monday, but you'll notice that sometimes your near vision will be crystal clear, and sometimes you'll still be reaching for your reading glasses. That healing process takes about one month until you feel that things are improved all the time. That's because the collagen needs to smooth out between the spots. It takes Mother Nature about one month to smooth things out evenly between the spots.
Do both eyes require surgery?
If you wear glasses for reading only, you will likely only need to have one eye corrected. If you wear glasses for distance and for reading, you will likely benefit from having both your distance and near vision improved.
Why is only one eye corrected?
With CK, we need to give you back your near vision. You still have good distance vision, but you've lost "stereo," if you will. What we do with CK is leave your dominant eye alone to maintain good distance vision, and correct your non-dominant eye to give you back your near vision. We call it Blended Vision, because both eyes are working together, but your brain knows which eye gets to be "the boss," based on whether you're looking up close or far away. Another way to understand is to compare "blended vision" with listening to a stereo—we have instrumentals on one speaker, and words on another, but together we have the music.
Blended vision is an improvement over a technique used with contacts and LASIK called "monovision." That's because there is usually little affect on your distance vision in regaining the near vision. Our clinical staff, and Drs. Derr or Millman will simulate this improvement for you at the consultation.
Where can I learn more?
Refractec, Inc., is the maker of CK technology. Their website at www.ckforme.com may be consulted for more information.
Free Screening
Schedule a free screening. We'll determine if you are in the right treatment zone for CK. Dr. Derr or Dr. Millman can demonstrate the expected improvement in your vision and you can get all your questions answered.
Contact us.
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