Eye Surgery – Radial Keratotomy

Many people have refractive keratotomy because they want to see well without the physical dependence on spectacles or contact lenses (Credit: Eva)

Refractive keratotomy is not a new idea. According to a report in the October 1994 Archives of Ophthalmology on the results of a 10-year study on radial keratotomy, the procedure was first described by European ophthalmologists in the late 1800s. It was further developed in Japan in the 1940s and 1950s, evolved into its modern form in Russia in the 1960s and 1970s, and was first done in the United States in 1978.

Many people opt for eye surgery in hopes of abandoning their glasses or contact lenses. Radial keratotomy and photorefractive keratectomy are common eye surgery procedures. Many people have refractive keratotomy because they want to see well without the physical dependence on spectacles or contact lenses.

People also seek radial keratotomy to improve their performance in profession or sports, to improve their cosmetic appearance, for convenience or to meet the visual requirements for occupations such as law enforcement and firefighting.

Radial keratotomy is done in the doctor’s office. Surgeries on each eye are scheduled a few weeks apart, as a precaution in case there are complications. The patient is given anesthetic eye drops to numb the eye. The surgeon uses a high-precision diamond blade knife to make four to eight incisions in the cornea, while the patient focuses on the light of the operating microscope. The eye surgery takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Normally, the cornea and the lens bend light rays to focus directly on the retina and if the cornea or lens is too rounded, or the eyeball is elongated, the light focuses in the front of the retina, blurring distant objects. Radial Keratotomy reduces or eliminates the myopia by flattering the cornea and redirecting the light focus on the retina.

The patient may have some pain or discomfort for 24 to 48 hours after surgery and may require some pain-relief medicine. Glare, starbursting or a halo effect, is common for a few months and persists for a year or more. Vision also fluctuates during the day, with acuity best in the morning and diminishing somewhat at night. This decreases in severity during the first year, but may last for many years.

Reference: www.fda.gov