Radial keratotomy

Radial keratotomy (RK) is a refractive surgical procedure used to correct myopia or nearsightedness. RK was the predominant refractive surgical procedure before the development of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). It is now rarely performed.

History

Radial keratotomy was first developed in 1974 by Russian ophthalmologist Svyatoslav Fyodorov when he removed glass from the eye of a boy who had been in a car accident. He noticed that the boy's myopia had been reduced in the eye where he had made radial incisions in the cornea to remove the glass.

Procedure

In radial keratotomy, a series of radial incisions are made in the cornea, which flatten it and allow light entering the eye to be focused better on the retina, rather than in front of it. The number, depth, and length of the incisions can be varied to correct different degrees of myopia.

Complications

Complications of radial keratotomy can include glare, halos, starbursts, and other visual aberrations. There is also a risk of overcorrection or undercorrection, and the stability of the correction over time is uncertain.

See also

• LASIK
• PRK
• Refractive surgery
• Myopia

External links

• American Academy of Ophthalmology - What is Radial Keratotomy?

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