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The prevalence of keratoconus, which affects nearly equally men and women, is estimated to range from 4 per 100,000 persons to 600 per 100,000. The majority of instances of Keratoconus, a condition that often starts during adolescence and develops into the mid-30s, include both eyes; however each eye may experience the illness at a varying rates of progression and at a different time.
The cornea thins and bulges into an atypical cone form in Keratoconus, impairing vision. The middle layer of the cornea, which is also its thickest layer, is mostly composed of water and the protein collagen. The cornea’s strength and flexibility are a result of collagen. This cornea is in good health, which helps you see well.
Based on the stage of keratoconus, there are many treatment options available which stabilize the cornea and tries to improve your quality of vision.
Special contact lens designed for irregular corneas have been successful in improving the quality of vision. Our contact lens trained optometrist will check for the fitting and determine if they are suitable for your eyes.
Collagen Cross Linking is a procedure to stop or slow down the progression of Keratoconus which shows promising results worldwide. The process involves removing the skin (epithelium) from the surface of the cornea and riboflavin eye drops that are applied to the cornea every 2 mins for 30 mins. The eye is then exposed to UVA light for 10 minutes. This process involves strengthening the bond between the corneal collagen so as to stop further weakening and bending of the cornea.
A topography guided excimer laser ablation is done on the cornea based on corneal topography, followed by corneal collagen cross-linking. This process is recommended for selective patients based on topography. The laser is used to make positive changes in the visual axis to regularize and improve visual quality.
INTACS are implantable intracorneal ring segments. These segments are inserted into the corneal stroma to provide mechanical support and regularize the corneal surface.
Advanced cases of keratoconus require corneal transplantation for appropriate visual rehabilitation in very thin corneas and/or if vision cannot be corrected by rigid lenses or INTACS.