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COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RKQuestions About the ProcedureWhy should I consider RK surgery? Radial Keratotomy is a simpler technique that involves fewer complications than other types of surgery. Besides -- most individual's myopia is in the range covered by this surgery. How long has this surgery been around? Radial Keratotomy surgery began in 1973 after a chance observation of eye trauma induced corneal flattening in a child. Svyataslav N. Fyodorov was, at that time, director of The Clinic for Experimental Eye Surgery in Moscow. Professor Fyodorov was already well known for his pioneering work in intra-ocular lens implant surgery. In 1976, Dr. Leo Bores, founder and director of the Bores Eye Institute, was the first American to perform a radial keratotomy operation. He began to work with the Soviet inventor to refine this surgery and introduced it into this country in 1978. Since then, he has further refined the technique and invented many of the methods and instruments used in this surgery throughout the world (including Russia). Doctor Bores also performs the intricate keratomileusis operation and other types of refractive surgery. He is recognized as one of the leading radial keratotomy and refractive surgery specialists in the world. Along with Professor Fyodorov, he has the longest experience of anyone. How successful is RK surgery? The overall success rate in patients with myopia ranges from -1.00 to -6.50 diopters is 85%. That means that almost 90% of operated patients have their vision improved to the point that they can drive a car without glasses -- day or night and in any state. In the lower, common ranges of myopia, the success rate is even higher. In some ranges the percent attaining 20/20 (normal) vision is almost 95%. How long does the operation take? The procedure usually
takes 30 minutes to perform. Only one eye is operated on at a time, with the
second eye operated on approximately a week later. By then, the post-operative
reaction is gone and the doctor can better assess the immediate results of the
surgery. Such results may influence the way that the surgery is performed
on the second eye.
Does RK
require hospitalization? No, the surgery is
performed on an outpatient basis in a specially equipped operating room.
Are
there any after-effects from the operation?
For the first 24 hours after the surgery, you may experience some sensitivity
to light, a scratchy sensation and redness in the operated eye. There
may also be some pain, but that can be taken care of with medication.
How
soon will I be able to see after the surgery? That
varies with each patient. Some see clearly right away. Most others have
an immediate improvement with a gradual clearing over a few weeks.
After my
surgery, will my vision regress over time?
In some of the early cases this happened, but is uncommon now.
Once the incisions are made, the effect is permanent. Is
it possible that the surgery can make me farsighted? There
is a tendency for patients over 40 years of age to get more correction
for a given amount of surgery. This could lead to an over-correction.
However, because age is one of the factors taken into consideration by
experienced eye surgeons BEFORE the surgery, over-correction is not a
common worry.
For a Q & A with Charles B. Slonim, M.D., F.A.C.S., visit AllAboutVision.com.
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