Corneal Incision Procedures

There are a number of corrective surgeries and techniques that involve cutting the cornea of the eye with a small blade or laser in order to correct vision or restore impaired eyesight. Many techniques and procedures have stopped being used, both because there are better corneal incision procedures and because the old techniques were seen to have worse side effects than the newer ones.

Corneal incision procedures are usually named depending on which part of the eye the surgery is to target. Some types of corneal incision procedures are astigmatic keratotomy, radial keratotomy, and hexagonal keratotomy.

Astigmatic keratotomy (AK) works on curing astigmatic problems and is especially effective in patients with astigmatism due to corneal transplants. The transplant recipient receives incisions which mimic the other eye and corneal muscle and tissue. AK is often used in transplant related astigmatism when the cornea is more of a flat shape.

There are several different techniques related to AK that exist. The word keratotomy refers simply to a cut made in the cornea. Astigmatic keratotomy is the specific use of these cuts in order to correct astigmatism. The variations include types of knives used, as well as thickness, depth, placement or length of the cut.

Radial Keratotomy (RK) is a surgical procedure used to correct myopia, or nearsightedness. Radial Keratotomy operates by incising the cornea in order to flatten its roundness, causing a readjustment in vision that, for myopic sufferers, caused vision to improve dramatically.

Hexagonal keratotomy is a surgery no longer performed in the US. The incisions associated with hexagonal keratotomy are made in a hexagonal pattern on the cornea. The intention was to "push up" the flattened cornea, causing it to slightly protrude forward. Hexagonal keratotomy has been perhaps the most problematic of corneal incision surgeries, however.

Hexagonal keratotomy involved a thick corneal incision that was seen to be both too deep and consist of too many cuts. The corneal surface and tissue usually became highly unstable because of these cuts. Eye shape usually changed over time. The addition of HK to already existing surgeries caused the eye to have too many incisions that could lead to a worsening of astigmatism.

All of these types of corneal incision procedures can be coupled with other techniques that aim to provide quick results with little side effects. LASIK is a treatment combining the best of corneal incision procedures with the best of modern technology. Lasers are used and avoid infection or problems with cutting, and more. Contact only a certified and experienced LASIK eye surgeon to learn about these and other corneal incision procedures.

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