Keratoconus, (kehr-uh-toh-KOH-nus) treatment options;

By: B. C. Jensen



In the early stages of the disease, glasses are often successful in correcting nearsightedness (myopia) and astigmatism; however, as keratoconus advances the cornea is too distorted to benefit from eyeglasses alone. Eventually, rigid contact lenses specially tailored to your individual needs are prescribed to aid in reshaping the corneal surface to provide optimal visual correction. These lenses are tailored to the patient's individual needs and can be costly and time-consuming to fit. The cost of these lenses is submitted to your health insurance carrier.
Surgical options also are available for those patients who can no longer benefit from wearing contact lenses. Intacts are small C-shaped silicone rings that are placed into the cornea to reduce the amount of astigmatism. In some cases, the patient may no longer need contact lenses, or if the patient has been unable to wear contact lenses, he or she may find that wearing lenses is possible again.
Penetrating keratoplasty (corneal transplant) is reserved for patients who can no longer successfully wear contact lenses. In this procedure, the surgeon prepares the keratoconic cornea by removing the central area of the cornea, attaching a full-thickness or partial-thickness corneal graft in its place. If it is required, surgery on the second eye is not performed until the first eye heals. While corneal transplant surgery is one of the most successful forms of organ transplantation, recovery for the patient can be lengthy, requiring the use of antibiotic and immunosuppressive eye drops on a long-term basis to avoid graft complications. Contact lenses are often required after the procedure to achieve visual correction.