Radial Keratotomy

Synonyms

Anterior radial keratotomy

Definition

Corneal incision performed to flatten the cornea and reduce myopia.

Epidemiology

Radial keratotomy was the most commonly performed refractive procedure in the late 1970s and 1980s.

History

Sato first described this procedure in 1939.

Clinical Features

No clinical feature data available for this topic.

Tests

Preoperative evaluation includes slit lamp examination, pachymetry and topography of the cornea, as well as BCVA refraction.

Differential Diagnosis

Corneal relaxation procedures for correction of myopia:

• Astigmatic keratotomy

• Arcuate keratotomy

• Transverse keratotomy

• Trapezoidal keratotomy

• Hexagonal keratotomy

• Limbal relaxing incisions

Etiology

Due to unstable results, radial keratotomy has been replaced by the far more accurate excimer laser.

Treatment

There are two methods for radial keratotomy. In the “American-style incision,” the incisions are performed from the optical zone toward the limbus. The Russian centripetal technique...