Chuck Your Reading Glasses
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new nonlaser procedure for correcting presbyopia, the inability to focus sharply on nearby things, like the words on this page. (It strikes nearly everyone over age 40.)
The minimally invasive surgery, called conductive keratoplasty, or CK, relies on radio-frequency energy to reshape the cornea rather than the lasers or scalpel used in current procedures. "With CK, as many as 40 million people could reduce their dependency on reading glasses, " says William Myers, M.D., director of the Michigan Eyecare Institute. Only eyedrop anesthesia is needed for the procedure.
The FDA's research found that 98 percent of those who have CK are able to see 20/20 in the distance and read text as small as newsprint. CK is not a permanent fix, however; the cornea may need to be reshaped as the years pass, says Myers.
Note: Visit our CK page for additional information.
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