LASIK is a surgical procedure that is capable of correcting a wide range of nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. More than 1 million patients undergo the LASIK procedure in the United States each year.
Most patients notice an improvement in their vision immediately upon completion of their surgery. By the next day, vision is often dramatically improved. However, patients should understand that while fast visual recovery characterizes the operation, it can take several months before some patients achieve their final vision after LASIK. Several studies demonstrate that the vision of a number of patients continued to improve up to six months post-operatively. During that time, patients may experience slight fluctuations in vision throughout the day. These symptoms generally diminish with time.
For some patients, vision after LASIK matches the sharpness of vision they had with glasses or contact lenses before the procedure. However, an estimated 1.5 million LASIK patients still face a return to glasses as their near vision begins to diminish with age. Fortunately, there’s another procedure-recently approved by the FDA-to help treat presbyopia, the common condition known as “aging eyes.”
NearVision CK (conductive keratoplasty) is currently being used by refractive surgeons to improve near vision in presbyopic patients, and is also being studied for its effectiveness in patients with a history of LASIK vision correction to treat nearsightedness (myopia). The preliminary clinical data holds promise for the millions of successful LASIK patients who aren’t interested in renewing their dependence on corrective lenses.
Boasting one of the highest safety profiles in the refractive market, NearVision CK uses gentle radio waves instead of a laser or scalpel, bringing near vision back into focus without cutting or removing of tissue-all during a painless procedure that takes just minutes to perform. Most post-LASIK NearVision CK trial patients recount dramatic changes in their ability to perform everyday tasks without glasses, including:
• 95 percent of patients were able to read a computer screen, compared to only 67 percent prior to the NearVision treatment; and
• Only 29 percent of patients were able to read menus or golf scorecards without glasses, but more than 86 percent were able to do so post-NearVision CK.