The cornea is a transparent tissue that covers the colored part of your eye. It helps in focusing light onto the retina (the light-sensitive film at the back of the eye). Diseases of the cornea may change its shape and/or decrease its transparency, which can lead to many problems in sight.
Keratoconus is a slowly developing disease in which the cornea is gradually bulges forward, causing continuous worsening of sight. It usually starts at puberty, and stabilizes at the age of about 30-35 years. Many options are available for its treatment, as follows:
KERATOCONUS TREATMENTS
Corneal Cross linking
Cross linking aims to stop corneal weakening and thinning due to keratoconus.
Treatment involves applying (Vitamin B2) drops to the eye, then exposing the eye to (ultraviolet light) over a 30-minute period.
Cross linking has been shown to increase corneal rigidity, and stop the progression of keratoconus in over 90% of those who undergo the operation.
Hard Contact Lenses
These lenses sit very tightly on the cornea and change its irregular shape to a more uniform one. This tends to improve vision.
The drawbacks include less patient’s comfort, so he/she may require frequent visits to the optometrist to make it more comfortable.
Corneal Rings
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia. During the operation, channels are made within the cornea and rings are inserted into them to make the corneal shape more regular.
This procedure is designed to let you get better-quality sight, although you may still need to use glasses and/or contact lenses. However, when using them, you will be more comfortable than before this surgery.
Laser Vision Correction (PRK) with Corneal Cross Linking
Laser vision correction has traditionally not been available for those with keratoconus. When the cornea is precisely imaged by what is called (corneal topography), it is possible to perform laser vision correction (PRK) to improve the shape of the cornea and, in turn, improve vision. The laser vision correction procedure should be combined corneal cross linking to reduce the risk of progression of keratoconus.
Corneal Grafting
In advanced cases, corneal grafting may be needed. This procedure replaces the patient’s diseased cornea with a healthy one. Patient may still need to wear glasses or contact lenses to enhance his/her sight, but with a better comfort. Corneal grafting is often followed by laser vision correction to improve vision even more.
DRY EYE TREATMENT
Tear Plugs
If eye drops and gels fail to improve eye dryness, plugs are an easy alternative solution for this problem. It is done in the clinic without pain or side effects. You can call (Amman Eye Clinic) for more details.
Nutritional Supplements
There is growing evidence that omega-3 deficiency is linked to eye dryness.
Vision Correction SURGeries
LASIK vs. PRK
There is a layer on the surface of the eye called (epithelium), which is replaced by the eye every 7 to 14 days.
In LASIK: a thin cut (flap) is made in the cornea. This cut involves the epithelium and part of the corneal material. Then, the eye surgeon is able to change the shape of the remaining layer underneath. This allows the surgeon a little doorway for re-shaping the permanent layer.
By returning the flap to its original position, it is only the edges of the flap that need to heal. Thus, the recovery time of LASIK is very short (usually 1 day).
In PRK: the epithelium is removed and discarded, so the eye surgeon is able to change the shape of the permanent layer underneath. Following this, a contact lens is applied as a bandage to allow the epithelium to re-grow under the contact lens. However, the recovery time of PRK is usually longer than that of LASIK (usually 4-5 days).
Both surgeries are safe and effective, and carry a very high rate of patient satisfaction. Choosing between PRK and LASIK is a decision best made in consultation with a trained eye doctor who is specialized in laser eye surgery. The choice depends on several factors, such as: corneal thickness – degrees of sight problems that need to be corrected – and severity of eye dryness. The good news is that our experience at (Amman Eye Clinic) has shown that whichever you choose, you’re likely to be very pleased with the outcome.
Implanting An Artificial Lens (ICL) With Maintaining The Natural Lens
The ICL is a lens which is placed inside the eye to correct some sight problems. It has the potential advantage of being removable, and does not require the cornea to be sculpted as in LASIK and PRK. However, it is more expensive than either.
The ICL does not cause inflammation within the eye. It is one of several brands of lenses that go into the eye along with the natural lens to improve the vision as opposed to LASIK and PRK which work by changing the shape of the front surface of the cornea.
The ICL is most often used in high degrees of shortsightedness or farsightedness or in cases where the cornea is too thin preventing LASIK. In cases where the ICL does not fully correct the vision, patient may need to undergo LASIK on top of ICL in order to “fine tune” the sight.