RK Vision Help in Los Angeles & Beverly Hills, CA

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.

A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT DR. BRIAN

Throughout his highly respected career, cornea specialist Dr. Brian has never wavered with his integrity and dedication to always do the best for each and every patient - even in the face of adversity and peer pressure. Case in point: when he developed a procedure to treat a cornea condition known as Keratoconus. While other eye surgeons were entrenched in performing invasive and painful cornea transplants, Dr. Brian invented a new non-invasive procedure that prevented needing cornea transplants. He was shocked by the medical establishment being unwelcoming to his innovation because, as he later found out, his new procedure was preventing other eye surgeons from performing their lucrative cornea transplants. Dr. Brian persisted, went against the grain and didn’t give up because he believed in himself and in his procedure as it was in the best interest of patients. Eventually, he crossed paths with U.S. Olympic bobsled driver Steven Holcomb who had Keratoconus and became so depressed over it that he tried to commit suicide. Luckily, he survived. The United States Olympic team and his coaches found Dr. Brian and sent Steven to see him. Dr. Brian restored his vision to 20/20 which enabled Steven later win a historic Olympic gold medal for United States in bobsled - the first in 62 years! As a result, Dr. Brian was later invited to give a prestigious TEDx talk about his integrity and dedication to patients. You can watch his moving and inspiring TEDx talk here.

Vision Correction in Los Angeles