Keratotomy is a surgical incision (a cut) made into the cornea. A radial keratotomy is a surgical procedure designed to flatten the cornea, reduce its optical power, and correct nearsightedness (myopia). The procedure is called a radial keratotomy because the incisions resemble the spokes in a bicycle wheel. The pioneer of modern laser keratectomy was the late S.N. Fyodorov in Russia.