What is Presbyopia?

• Presbyopia is a Greek word, meaning "aging eye." It is a progressive condition that causes near vision to fade with age.
• Presbyopia is the most prevalent eye condition in America. It affects most people by the age of 40 and everyone by the age of 51. An estimated 90 million Americans either have presbyopia or will develop the condition in the next 10 years.
• Symptoms of presbyopia include difficulty with all near vision reading tasks, such as reading a newspaper or magazine, ordering from a menu, checking a price tag, dialing a cell phone, or even doing hobby work. People affected by presbyopia often own multiple pairs of reading glasses and must rely on them for even the most routine of daily tasks.
• Since their near vision began to deteriorate later in life, many consider the need for reading glasses (often called "half-eyes," "readers" or "granny glasses") an unwelcome sign of aging.
• A survey of the over 40 American adults conducted by AllAboutVision.com, a consumer vision care resource, found that two-thirds of those surveyed would consider having an elective procedure to reduce their dependence on reading glasses. A full 42 percent ranked CK as their number-one choice, citing its non-invasive method and safety as the primary reasons for their preference.

First FDA Approved Technology for Presbyopic Patients

If you are over the age of 40, had great vision your whole life, and now struggle with reading glasses, you may be a candidate for NearVision CK.

• The ViewPoint® CK System, used to perform the NearVision CK treatment, is the first FDA-approved refractive technology for improving the loss of near vision that accompanies presbyopia.
• The NearVision CK treatment has one of the highest safety profiles in the refractive market thanks to the use of radio waves, instead of a laser or scalpel, that gently change the shape of the cornea to improve vision.
• In addition to its approved indications for hyperopia (farsightedness) and presbyopia (aging eyes), the FDA recently granted approval for a phase-three clinical trial to study CK's ability to improve near vision in patients who previously had LASIK surgery.
• NearVision CK is indicated for the temporary improvement of near vision in emmetropic presbyopes (those who require only reading glasses) and low hyperopic presbyopes (those who require reading and distance glasses).
• Radiofrequency energy is one of today's most advanced surgical technologies. In addition to its use in CK, RF technology is being used in prostate cancer therapy, back surgery, even cardiovascular procedures.
• This year, the number of NearVisionSM CK® treatments is expected to increase 50 percent over 2005 to 150,000 procedures.

The NearVision CK Treatment

Conductive Keratoplasty is performed using a probe thinner than a strand of hair that releases radiofrequency energy. Applied to the cornea in a circular pattern, the radio waves shrink small areas of collagen to create a constrictive band (like the tightening of a belt) that increases the curvature of the cornea, bringing near vision back into focus.

NearVision CK is a quick in office procedure that takes about 3-5 minutes using simple eye drops to lightly numb the surface of your eye. When your eye is completely numb, an eyelid holder will be placed between your eyelids to keep you from blinking during the procedure.

Then, you'll be asked to look at the microscope light. Your eye will be marked with a series of dots. Dr. Holladay will touch the dots with the probe. There will be eight to 32 treatment points, depending on the amount of correction needed. By applying radiofrequency (RF) energy, NearVision CK can change how the eye focuses light by reshaping the cornea to make it steeper. The controlled RF energy is applied in a circular pattern to shrink the corneal tissue. This pattern is applied in the periphery of your cornea and therefore minimizes any disturbance to your line of sight. As the dots are touched, heat from the radio waves shrinks the tissue, producing a clenching effect that creates a more curved cornea. Some patients elect to have only one eye treated to give them monovision.

Soon after the procedure, your eyes will be examined and you will go home and relax for the rest of the day. For the first couple of days, you may experience some scratchiness in your eyes, or excessive watering. This rapidly improves and medications can be taken to relieve any discomfort. Normal activities are generally resumed within a day or two. While many patients see improvement in their near vision immediately after the procedure, it usually takes a few weeks to several months for vision to stabilize and the results to be fully realized. As with other vision correction procedures, you may experience some discomfort and light sensitivity (glare or halos) for a few days following NearVision CK®. Normal activities are generally resumed within a day or two.

Benefits of NearVision CK

• NearVision CK is the first treatment specifically for who want freedom from their reading glasses.
• The treatment: uses controlled radio waves, instead of a laser or scalpel, to change the shape of the cornea and bring NearVision back into focus.
• CK is laser-free and extremely safe: There is no cutting and no removal of tissue.
• CK is minimally invasive and painless.
• CK is fast: The treatment is performed in less than three minutes.
• CK is easy to undergo: It is performed in the doctor's office with only eye drop anesthesia.
• You're a candidate for NearVision CK if you're over age 45, had great distance vision your whole life, and rely on reading glasses to compensate for the loss of NearVision.

NearVision CK Clinical Results

• High patient satisfaction: 79 percent satisfied or very satisfied with their vision 24 months after the NearVision CK treatment.
• Excellent quality of vision: 87 percent noted moderate, marked or extreme improvement in their quality of vision 24 months after CK.
• There were no reported serious, sight-threatening or unanticipated safety events.
• Phase three clinical results presented at the 2005 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting indicate that NearVision CK is a safe and effective treatment for post-LASIK with 'aging eyes.'
• 96 percent of patients could read J3 (phonebook-sized print) or better.
• 96 percent of patients achieved intermediate vision of 20/20 or better, compared to 65% pre-operatively.
• All of the patients --100 percent -- achieved a binocular UCVA of 20/25 or better at distance.
• More than 90 percent achieved binocular UCVA vision to read J2-sized print or smaller.
• There were no reports of adverse events among the 50 patients participating in the trial, underscoring NearVision CK's industry-leading safety profile.