For the first few minutes after treatment, vision may be very blurred, although many patients notice that there is an instant improvement in near vision. The eye often feels scratchy on the surface for the first twenty-four hours and vision may be poor for the first few days.

You will be given antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops to take home, with written instructions on how to instil these and the frequency with which they should be used. We will make sure you know how to care for your eye when you are at home.

The day after your treatment

You will need to continue using your eye drops, noting the detailed written instructions given to you before you left the clinic.

How quickly will your vision improve?

Patients usually notice an improvement in near vision within forty-eight hours of the CK procedure. It can take several weeks however, for your eye to adjust to the final level of correction.

It is common for a degree of initial “overtreatment” to be present, meaning that the eye will be set for rather nearer tasks than intended, at the expense of some distance vision. Particularly in the first few days, the lack of clear distance vision in the treated eye may be apparent when using both eyes together. This will settle within a couple of weeks.

When can you resume normal activity?

You may return to your normal daily activities as soon as you feel ready to do so. Most patients feel ready to return to work and other normal activities within forty-eight hours of their procedure.

For the first two weeks you should refrain from swimming and activities where contamination of your eye may occur. Please be careful if applying eye-make up.

What can you do to help make the treatment a success?

Following your CK procedure it is important that you instil your eye drops as instructed.

You should avoid knocking or rubbing your eye, but you may touch the area around the eye. Although it is safe to have a shower or bath, take care when washing your hair to avoid getting soapy water in your eye.

The eye can seem more sensitive to bright light for the first few days and you may find dark glasses helpful, especially in strong sunlight.

What are the risks and complications?

The aim and potential outcome of conductive keratoplasty will be discussed with you in clinic and prior to your procedure.

Our team operates from modern private clinics where the equipment and products used are of the highest standard. Every effort is made to minimise risk and ensure your procedure is safe. Serious problems during or after treatment are rare, however every procedure has risks and potential complications.

Complications early in your recovery

Overtreatment. The immediate effect of CK is to produce rather more shift towards near vision than is ultimately required. Patients may therefore notice that the treated eye has poor distance vision and that distance vision using two eyes together feels odd. This will settle within a couple of weeks.
Bruising of the eye or eyelids. The sclera may be red where the plastic template has been placed in the eye. This usually resolves completely within the first month.
Allergy to eye drops. Ocular allergy typically causes lid swelling, itching or redness. If this happens, please let us know and we can prescribe an alternative. Some patients are allergic to the preservative used in eye drops and if you have previously had a reaction, please inform us prior to surgery so that we can prescribe a preservative-free option.

Complications late in your recovery

Astigmatism. If you have a high level of astigmatism, implying that the curvature of the cornea horizontally is different from the curvature vertically, then CK may not be appropriate for you. If the application of the eight spots is not performed evenly, then astigmatism can be induced by CK treatment. One of the great advantages of the new template technology has been to eliminate virtually all chance of inducing troublesome astigmatism. If present, astigmatism can be treated at a later date by applying an additional single spot of CK at the correct point on the cornea.
Loss of treatment effect. When CK is first performed, the near vision produced in that eye is a consequence of both the CK induced corneal change and the degree of accommodation still present in that eye. CK is being performed not when an eye has lost all its natural accommodative near reading power, but when the natural effect of ageing has got the “can’t cope” phase. Over time, the natural remaining accommodative power will be lost and ultimately the only near vision effect will come from the CK-induced change in corneal curvature. This may not be enough to give functional near vision, particularly as the fellow eye continues to age. It is for this reason that CK must be regarded as a temporary measure, delaying the need for more definitive, but higher risk, intraocular surgery.
Dry eyes. This is a common symptom with increasing age, for which many sufferers use simple lubricating drops. Interfering with the conjunctivae on the surface of the eye can upset the production of mucous, which is an important constituent of the tear film. In most cases this is temporary, responding to simple measures such as ocular lubricants, warm compress bathing and dietary supplementation of essential fatty acids, such as those in fish oils and flax seed oil. We will advise you on a treatment regime if required.

Information explaining how to care for your eye together with contact telephone numbers will be given to you following your treatment