What are INTACS?

INTACS were approved for the treatment of relatively low degrees of nearsightedness in the 1990's.  INTACs are semi-circular implants that are placed within the stroma of the cornea:  hence they are classified as intracorneal ring segments.  The segments are placed in the mid-periphery of the cornea and improve the uncorrected vision in myopes by flattening the central cornea.  While intracorneal ring segments were effective for low degrees of myopia, laser vision correction was a least as effective as INTACs, and could be performed without incurring the cost of an implant.  The intense competition in the vision correction market prevented INTACS from gaining any significant market share; however, the intracorneal implant has found a niche market by being a popular and effective treatment in the treatment of a corneal condition called keratoconus.