Dr. Duffey performs Intacs, intracorneal ring segment surgery to correct low degrees of nearsightedness. This procedure and technology was approved by the FDA on April 9, 1999 and has been studied in the United States dating back to 1991. Dr. Duffey is a certified instructor of this technology and has taught other surgeons throughout the U.S. and abroad this surgical technique through the Laser Vision Center, Incorporated, TLC, and the ring developer and manufacturer.

This microsurgical procedure is performed with topical anesthesia like the laser procedures, but uses no laser technology. Instead, microscopic-sized clear plastic bands (Figure 1) are implanted into the peripheral cornea of a patient (Figures 2 & 3) to affect the change in corneal curvature to correct low degrees of myopia. The advantage of this procedure is that the surgery spares the central cornea, and the rings can be removed in the future if the patient develops a problem or a change in refractive error. Visual acuity outcomes are as good as laser vision corrections. The potential disadvantage of this procedure is that the healing time is slightly longer for patients, the vast majority of which are still back to normal activities within two to three days. One or both eyes can be operated upon at the same surgical setting, depending on patient preference.

Figure 1. Plastic ring segments 150º in length and 0.25 mm in thickness.	Figure 2. Ring segment being inserted into the peripheral cornea causing a change in central corneal curvature (dotted line).	Figure 3. Intacs implanted into human cornea permanently.