Conductive keratoplasty.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Conductive keratoplasty is a noninvasive, in-office procedure for the correction of hyperopia, hyperopic astigmatism, and management of presbyopia. It serves as an alternative to laser-based refractive surgery with essentially no intraoperative or postoperative complications.

RECENT FINDINGS: In the past decade, photorefractive keratectomy and laser in-situ keratomileusis have been the most popular refractive surgical procedures to correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Although relatively safe, flap-related complications often result in undesirable visual acuity. Since US Food and Drugs Administration approval in 2002, conductive keratoplasty has become a promising technique to correct low to moderate hyperopia and astigmatism. The procedure was first used by Mendez and colleagues in 1993. It is a nonlaser, no cutting procedure that delivers radio-frequency energy to corneal stroma in a circular fashion to steepen the cornea. Multiple studies have shown that conductive keratoplasty offers equal or superior efficacy, predictability, stability and safety than currently used refractive procedures to correct hyperopia or hyperopic astigmatism. In addition, monovision conductive keratoplasty has been shown to be successful for the management of presbyopia.

SUMMARY: Conductive keratoplasty, an alternative to the laser-based procedure, is effective, predictable, and safe to correct low to moderate hyperopia, astigmatism, and manage presbyopia.