Corrective Surgery For Vision

If you are anxious to get rid of your glasses or contacts, a new surgical option may be the answer. It's a corrective surgery for nearsightedness that is similar to laser surgery, reports Correspondent Dr. Rose Gabriele of CBS News affiliate WOIO-TV in Cleveland.

Intacs, which are inserted onto the non-seeing periphery of the cornea, were recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

The small ring segments in the shape of half-circles are placed on the edge of the cornea to change its shape, says Dr. Samuel Salamon of the Corrective Eye Center in Cleveland.

Patients are injected with an anesthetic but remain awake through the surgery. Tiny incisions are made in the cornea to place the implants in each eye. The procedure takes approximately fifteen minutes.

Studies have shown that most patients have 20/20 vision or better with the implants. Yet, unlike other corrective procedures, the implants can be removed.

"We can remove the segments, we can adjust them, we can replace them," says Salamon.

Like most surgery, there's always a risk of problems, including infection. The cost of the procedure is almost the same as eye surgery -- about $2,200 for each eye.

Those with mild to moderate nearsightedness may also benefit from the surgery.