What Is Keratoconus
Keratoconus is an eye disease in which the cornea, the front part of the eyeball, becomes thinner and bulges forward becoming cone shaped. The disease is considered to be progressive. The cone shaped irregular area of the cornea distorts light as it enters the eye causing vision to be blurred. Keratoconus can be in either one or in both eyes. It typically is first observed in the teens or early twenties.
In the early stages of keratoconus it is possible to correct the condition with eyeglasses or traditional soft contact lenses. This is because the cornea does not become extremely distorted until later in the condition. It is common for keratoconus to be missed in the early stages of the disease. As the vision becomes more distorted, eventually a stage is reached in which normal eyeglasses and soft contact lenses will not provide adequate vision. There are, however, good treatment options available to treat the condition. These options include rigid gas permeable contact lenses, special “hybrid” contact lenses that are made from a combination of polymers in which the center part is rigid and the periphery is soft, and combinations of rigid gas permeable contact lenses over various types of soft contact lenses (called “piggybacking”). Approximately 20% of patients with keratoconus eventually can’t wear contact lenses and would need a corneal transplant.
Treatment Options For Keratoconus
Crosslinking
The goal of Crosslinking is to halt or stabilize the progression of keratoconus in the early stages. It will not necessarily correct your vision or eliminate the need for glasses and contact lenses. The Crosslinking procedure is performed on an outpatient basis at our laser surgery center. Crosslinking is a chemical reaction between two polymer chains to strengthen the cornea which inherently is weaker than the normal cornea. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) eye drops will be placed onto the patient’s eye then exposed to ultraviolet (UVA) light which is designed to strengthen the corneal structure and improve the corneal shape. Patients who undergo Crosslinking may be able to wear contact lenses after the eye is completely healed.
INTACS
Intrastromal corneal ring segments (INTACS) are two semi-circular arches made of PMMA material implanted into channels inside the cornea to strengthen and reshape the cornea, helping to restore it to its natural shape. Successful outcomes result in:
- Patient’s ability to return to wearing spectacles or contact lenses for extended periods of time to correct their vision
- Achieve improved vision in most instances and,
- This procedure is done under local anesthesia in our state-of-the-art laser center.
Additionally, INTACS have shown to defer the need for corneal transplant in many cases and to potentially slow progression of the disease. In patients who are no longer able to achieve adequate vision with contact lenses or glasses, INTACS has recently been approved for the treatment of Keratoconus by the FDA.