CK can be performed in the ophthalmologist's office. The surgeon will insert a few anesthetic eye drops into your eyes, then apply a special tool often resembling a pair of kitchen tongs (speculum) between the eyelids to prop them open and prevent blinking.

In CK, the speculum also serves as a return path (that is, a ground) for the radio frequency produced by the probe. Using a rinse-away dye, the surgeon will imprint a treatment pattern on your cornea, showing where the radio frequency should be applied. Only a few seconds of the treatment are required for each eye. [View an illustration of the procedure.]

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CK is painless, but some people say they feel a slight pressure on the eye.

Both eyes can be done during the same visit (if you are being treated for hyperopia), so there is virtually no down time.

The surgeon will give you a prescription for eye drops that help prevent infection and reduce inflammation. Some surgeons may ask you to wear special bandage contact lenses for a few days to minimize discomfort.

In conductive keratoplasty, low heat energy from radio frequency is applied through a probe to reshape your eye's surface.

You can leave the doctor's office right after CK, although someone else must drive you home.

You may experience a foreign body sensation when the topical anesthetic wears off (about 20 to 30 minutes after the procedure), similar to the feeling of a piece of dirt or debris in your eye. Although you will be able to function normally, for the first week you may be slightly nearsighted. However, these side effects should clear up quickly. You also may find your eyes are sensitive to bright light. Wearing sunglasses for up to one week is sometimes necessary.

If you wear a pacemaker for regulating your heart or similar electronic equipment, you should not undergo CK because of the possibility that radio frequency waves will interfere with its proper function.

With past studies of CK, some regression of the post-procedure results occurred. However, new surgical techniques appear to have assisted with achieving a more stable refraction. Re-treatment (if needed) is an option, as are other kinds of refractive surgery.