TUNE IN CLEARER VISION NEW PROCEDURE USES RADIO WAVES TO SHARPEN THE WAY YOU SEE.

Byline: Mariko Thompson Staff Writer

From the moment you were born, your visual ability to focus has been subject to a law of diminishing returns. Maybe you donned a pair of reading glasses just to pick out the words in this sentence. And if you didn't, your time will come.

Eye doctors say some degree of reading-vision loss is inevitable with age, which is why a new procedure called conductive keratoplasty or CK - in which radio waves are used to reshape the cornea - has some baby boomers rejoicing.

Getting rid of the reading glasses is only partly a matter of vanity. When you can't dial a cell phone, read a menu or glance at a price tag in the department store without fumbling for the reading glasses, it's also a matter of convenience.

Douglas Cancienne, a Sherman Oaks resident who owns a commercial real-estate business, could no longer read e-mail or use his financial calculator without glasses or contact lenses. He found the reading glasses cumbersome, and contact lenses dried out his eyes. Earlier this month, he underwent CK.

``You start to see results right away,'' he says. ``It's worth it not to have to deal with glasses or contacts.''

An estimated 90 million Americans need reading glasses. Loss of near vision - presbyopia in medical terms - typically begins in the 40s and continues to worsen through age 65. CK, which received approval from the Food and Drug Administration in March, is considered less invasive than LASIK or PRK, which use a laser to reshape the cornea. With CK, eye doctors apply radio waves in a circular pattern to the periphery of the cornea to increase the curvature.

``With CK, we can correct near vision without sacrificing distance vision,'' says Dr. Jonathan Davidorf, a West Hills ophthalmologist involved in the clinical trials for CK. ``This is the first time we've had that capability.''

Not everyone who wants to get rid of their glasses will qualify for the procedure. Strong candidates need to have perfect distance vision. Patients then test the level of adjustment by wearing contact lenses for a few days. CK isn't cheap, about $2,000 per eye, although often only one eye needs to be treated.

``The advantages are (CK) definitely improves reading vision in everyone I've treated, and it's safe,'' says Dr. Robert Maloney, a Los Angeles ophthalmologist who also worked on the CK clinical trials. ``The disadvantage is it seems to wear off over time. It's like a long-acting version of Botox.''

The number of years before the patient needs a follow-up CK treatment varies. Dr. Steven Wilson, director of corneal research at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation's Cole Eye Institute, says regression can occur because cells in the cornea try to heal the burns created by the radio-frequency waves.

``CK has a place in ophthalmology, but it's not the holy grail,'' Wilson says. ``The question is, is it safe to do it again two or three years later? There's not a whole lot of data out there.''

The procedure takes less than five minutes. Maria Gilmore, Davidorf's surgery coordinator, recently had CK done on her lunch break. Davidorf clamped a lid retainer to hold Gilmore's left eye open. He then administered an eye drop to numb her eye. Using a probe about the width of a human hair, Davidorf applied the radio waves in a circle around the the cornea.

Gilmore, a 50-year-old Palmdale resident, started using reading glasses about 10 years ago. She hated having to retrieve her reading glasses every time she wanted to make a call on her cell phone. Once the procedure was finished and the gauze protecting her right eye was removed, Gilmore was handed a cell phone.

``It's 1:10 p.m.,'' she says. ``I can read that.''

Mariko Thompson, [phone]

mariko.thompson(at)dailynews.com

Common eye problems

Astigmatism: Blurred or distorted vision for all objects, whether near or far. Most people have at least a small degree of astigmatism.

Hyperopia: Farsightedness, when distant objects can be seen more clearly than near objects.

Myopia: Nearsightedness, when distant objects appear blurry.

Presbyopia: Loss of the ability to focus on objects close up. Typically occurs after the age of 40 and requires either reading glasses or bifocals. Often confused with farsightedness.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 3 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) NO more GLASSES

New technique improves baby boomers' eyesight

John McCoy/Photo Illustration

(2) Dr. Jonathan Davidorf corrects employee Maria Gilmore's vision with conductive keratoplasty, a procedure that uses radio waves to reshape the cornea.

(3) Gilmore notices improvement in her near vision immediately after the CK procedure is performed on her left eye by Davidorf in his West Hills office.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) Common eye problems (see text)

(2) Surgical treatments for reading-vision loss

- M.T.

(3) THE PROCEDURE

Refractect Inc.