Keratoconus and Your Treatment Options

Keratoconus and Your Treatment Options

Keratoconus and Your Treatment Options

Keratoconus and Your Treatment Options

Keratoconus is a terrifying diagnosis to those that have experienced it. To compound issues, many patients complain that they had poor initial treatment due to a lack of understanding about the disease. If proper treatment is not achieved, individuals may experience a rapid deterioration in their ability to see. This leads to a reduced quality of life. You can reduce the stress related to a keratoconus diagnosis and increase the benefits of treatment by understanding your treatment options.
 

Understanding Keratoconus

Keratoconus is an eye disease that causes the cornea to thin and bulge. This bulge generally takes on the appearance of a cone. As light enters the eye, it becomes distorted by the cone causing vision abnormalities.

Modern research is connecting keratoconus with an enzyme imbalance in the cornea. This imbalance leaves the eye susceptible to oxidative free radicals. Keratoconus has also been linked to UV damage, excessive eye rubbing, poorly fitting contacts, and chronic eye irritation.
 

Treatment Options

While your eye professional will have the best understanding of what treatment option is right for you, we have compiled ten of the most common treatments here.

  • Corneal Cross-linking (CXL) – There are two different types of this procedure, but they both introduce riboflavin to the cornea in order to strengthen the corneal tissue and stop the bulging from progressing.

  • Custom Soft Contact Lenses – Soft contacts are generally more comfortable to wear than gas permeable lenses. Recently, some contact companies have been able to create a contact specifically to correct the issues related to mild and moderate cases of keratoconus.

  • Gas Permeable Contact Lenses – Gas permeable lenses are a hard contact lens that physically forces the eye to adhere to the lens shape. This allows for the correction of keratoconus. The fit is often time-consuming and may take several different lenses to achieve the proper fit.

  • Piggybacking Contact Lenses – This method is used for individuals who require a gas permeable lens but cannot tolerate wearing rigid contacts. Piggybacking utilizes a soft lens placed on the eye first, and then a gas permeable lens is placed over the top. This offers the comfort of soft contacts with the rigidity and clarity of the gas permeable lenses.

  • Hybrid Contact Lenses – Hybrid contact lenses were designed specifically for keratoconus. This technology blends a rigid contact lens center with a softer edge, or skirt, of the contact
 
  • Scleral and Semi-Scleral lenses – These lenses are gas permeable lenses but cover a larger area of the eye than a standard rigid lens. These lenses don’t put pressure onto the cone shape of the eye. The reduced pressure results in a more comfortable fit for patients.
 
  • Prosthetic Lenses – This lens is used specifically for patients that have very advanced keratoconus and have ruled out other options. The advanced scleral lens also doubles as a protective prosthetic shell. There are special requirements to qualify for this lens though, so check with your eye care professional if this is an option for you.

  • Intacs – These implants are surgically placed in the eye. They are a small plastic insert that is inserted into the eye, just under the surface. This option is also designed for patients who could not use other contact lens types.

  • Topography-Guided Conductive Keratoplasty – This treatment option is still being researched, but it uses the energy from radio waves and small probes to map the surface of the eye. This detailed mapping allows for an appropriate treatment plan for the patient.

  • Corneal Transplant – Patients with advanced keratoconus may no longer be able to tolerate a contact lens, or the different lens types may not be correcting the issues. This surgery removes the damaged cornea and replaces it with a healthy cornea.
     

There is hope for individuals with keratoconus. Even though the disease is degenerative, many patients report restored vision and improved quality of life when the appropriate treatment plan is in place. If you have been diagnosed with keratoconus or are having problems with your vision, see your eye care professional today.

none 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Closed Closed optometrist 7024522020 Mon-Sat 9am-6pm
Sun 10am-5pm Lake Mead Inside LensCrafters 7361 W Lake Mead Blvd #104
Las Vegas, NV 89128 9460 W. Flamingo Rd Ste #100
Las Vegas, NV 89147 Meadows Mall Inside LensCrafters 4300 Meadows Ln #126
Las Vegas, NV Las Vegas, NV, 89107 St. Rose Inside LensCrafters - South Fork Pointe 9975 S Eastern Ave #100
Las Vegas, NV, 89183 Galleria Mall Inside LensCrafters 1300 W Sunset Rd #1617
Henderson, NV, 89014 Pearle Vision at N Green Valley Pkwy 1000 N Green Valley Pkwy. Suite 420
Henderson, NV 89074 Pearle Vision at S Maryland Pkwy 9770 S Maryland Pkwy. Suite 10
Las Vegas, NV 89183 Pearle Vision at Nellis Blvd 230 N Nellis Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89110 Pearle Vision at Sunset Rd 1381 W. Sunset Rd Suite 120
Henderson, NV, 89014 Pearle Vision at Sahara Ave 8145 W Sahara Ave #510
Las Vegas, NV, 89117 Pearle Vision at Tropicana 6160 W. Tropicana Ave Suite E-4
Las Vegas, NV, 89103 Pearle Vision at N. Rainbow 2021 N Rainbow Blvd #100
Las Vegas, NV, 89108 Pearle Vision at S. Rainbow 7090 S. Rainbow. Blvd Suite 100
Las Vegas, NV, 89118 Pearle Vision at Valle Verde 75 S. Valle Verde Pkwy. Suite #100
Henderson, NV 89012 Pearle Vision at Rampart Blvd 2279 N Rampart Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89128 Pearle Vision at Windmill 8025 S Rainbow Blvd. Suite 104
Las Vegas, NV 89139 1820 E. Lake Mead Blvd Suite A-1 North
Las Vegas, NV 89030 https://www.facebook.com/pearlevisionsouthernnevada/ https://www.facebook.com/KopolowGirisgenLasVegasEyeDocs/