Radial and Astigmatic Keratotomy (RK/AK):
Surgery for Nearsightedness and Astigmatism

Nearsightedness
In nearsightedness (myopia) the cornea is often too steep and light rays focus in front of the retina. Near vision is clear and distant vision is blurry.

Astigmatism
With astigmatism, the curve of the cornea is irregular and egg shaped, causing light rays to focus at multiple points and resulting in blurred or double vision at all distances.

Radial and Astigmatic Keratotomy
For over 30 years, a technique called radial keratotomy (RK) has been used to reduce or eliminate low to moderate degrees of nearsightedness and astigmatism in millions of people. Using a hand held diamond blade, microscopic incisions are placed in a spoke-like or curvilinear pattern around the outer portion of the cornea to reshape its curvture. This reshaping allows light rays to focus properly on the retina, reducing or eliminating nearsightedness and astigmatism. The incisions are invisible to the naked eye and the procedure only takes minutes to perform.