RK (Radial Keratotomy) Vision Improvement with Holcomb C3-R® and PRK
We developed non-invasive Holcomb C3-R® cross-linking in 2003 for Keratoconus and observed a long-term stability rate of 99.3%. A shortly after this procedure was invented, we believed the procedure could help other patients with different forms of weakened corneas such as if LASIK developed into Keratoconus. We found that treatment with Holcomb C3-R® is very effective in strengthening those corneas as well by increasing the amount of cross-linking to compensate for the weakening from LASIK. Holcomb C3-R® cross-linking has been shown to alter the biochemical and biomechanical properties of the cornea and can also inhibit the progression of ectasia by strengthening the collagen in the cornea.
But what about patients who had radial keratotomy (RK) where corneal fibers have been severed by the knife which caused the weakening? Many of those patients suffer with fluctuating vision throughout the day as well as worsening farsightedness (hyperopic drift) over the years. Approximately 43% of eyes after RK had a significant farsighted shift over 10 years. In the beginning it was our hope that we could use the Holcomb C3-R® procedure to help such patients whose corneas had been weakened as a result of RK.
To help answer this question, we launched a retrospective evaluation of patients who had experienced worsening farsightedness after undergoing RK surgery who we treated with Holcomb C3-R® Crosslinking System, thereby leaving the epithelium intact. We found many patients attained better vision both uncorrected and with glasses – results that pleased us and our patients. We observed it improved the stability of the vision during the day and also over time. We also found the Holcomb C3-R® procedure to be very safe in these patients.
As discussed, RK often causes the prescription to become more farsighted and sometimes with astigmatism too. This can make the vision become quite blurred without glasses or contact lenses and with them as well. The good news is over the last 25 years we have successfully improved vision using a laser technique called PRK (note: you never want to have LASIK after RK since it can weaken the cornea even more). After we developed Holcomb C3-R®, we then combined it with PRK on the same day to provide vision correction along with improved stability.
If you have experienced deteriorating vision after RK and would like to have improved stability and/or improved vision, please contact us through the form below, schedule a Zoom Q & A session with us, or call 424-274-0958.
