CK providing good patient satisfaction

ORLANDO, Fla. — Almost all patients treated with conductive keratoplasty are satisfied with their vision postoperatively, according to Refractec. The company announced results of a post-market survey here at the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology.

Between the April 2002 Food and Drug Administration approval of conductive keratoplasty (CK) and the first week of October, surgeons performed close to 4,000 CK procedures. According to Refractec’s press release “nearly 95% of patients reported being ‘satisfied’ to ‘extremely satisfied’ with their visual outcome post-CK.”

Refractec purposely limited distribution of the technology to a controlled number of surgeons in order to manage the post-launch data and to “ensure the successful implementation of this new technology by physicians,” according to the company. Only 54 U.S. surgeons were trained in and given access to the technology.

“The demand for CK has grown at a very rapid pace, compared to past vision correction procedures,” said Mitchell B. Campbell, president and chief executive officer of Refractec, in the press release.

CK is approved for use in the United States for the temporary reduction of spherical hyperopia in patients who have a cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction of +0.75 D to +3 D and 0.75 D or less of astigmatism.