Keratoconus
What is Keratoconus?
Keratoconus is when the cornea of your eye thins and bulges outward changing from a sphere shape to a cone shape. Think rugby ball as opposed to soccer ball.
The cause of this is unknown and it can often be hereditary. It usually first presents in puberty or the late teens and includes blurred vision and light sensitivity, frequent changes in glasses prescriptions and a clouding of vision.
If caught early, it can be successfully managed with wearing glasses or soft contact lenses. If advanced, treatment may include a cornea transplant.
Corneal Cross Linking is a procedure that can also be used to slow or stop Keratoconus from progressing and possibly preventing the need for a cornea transplant later in life. Used in conjunction with laser vision correction, it can be a treatment option that provides excellent visual acuity.
As a highly experienced ophthalmologist with a sub-specialty in refractive surgeries. Ben can advise, monitor and successfully treat keratoconus.
Monitoring
Depending on how quickly the condition is progressing and the patients age, Ben may decide to treat your Keratoconus by monitoring it and achieving your vision goals using glasses and contact lenses. A decision can then be made regarding the need for crosslinking and the possibility of laser surgery.
Corneal Crosslinking in the treatment of Keratoconus
Used in the early stages of kerotoconus to stop its progression, the cornea is saturated with riboflavin eyedrops and treated with ultraviolet light. This causes cross-linking of the cornea, which stiffens the cornea to prevent further shape changes, stabilising the shape of the cornea early in the disease and therefore reducing the risk of progressive vision loss.