Keratoconus
There’s a reason why eye doctors always tell patients not to rub their eyes.
It appears that excessive rubbing may lead to deformation of the cornea, the clear surface at the front of the eyes.
When the cornea’s shaped is distorted, so are the images you see.
Focus Eye Care & Surgery offers one of the most effective keratoconus treatments New York has available. Dr. Neelofar Ghaznawi is a board-certified cornea specialist performing medical and surgical treatments for keratoconus and other diseases of the cornea. Schedule a consultation with us today to find out if you qualify.
What is keratoconus?
Keratoconus is an eye disease caused by the cornea’s abnormal shape.
Keratoconus is an eye disease caused by the cornea’s abnormal shape.
The cornea is smooth and shaped like a dome in a normal eye. This allows light to be bent correctly and focused sharply through the lens onto the retina.
The retina is the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eyes. Light rays are converted into electrical signals in the retina, which are then sent to the brain via the optic nerve. This is how images are formed.
In keratoconus, the cornea bulges forward like a cone. Because the cornea does most of the eyes’ light-bending work, this deformity results to myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism (blurred vision at any distance).
What are the treatment options for keratoconus?
While there’s no known cure for keratoconus at present, symptoms can be managed such that a person with the condition can still enjoy a high quality of life.
- Prescription spectacles
When keratoconus symptoms are mild, glasses and contact lenses may help correct myopia and astigmatism.
- Corneal cross-linking
As the disease advances, corrective eyeglasses and contact lenses may no longer be adequate. The cornea may need to be reshaped.
Corneal cross-linking entails the use of laser pulses and liquid riboflavin (vitamin B2) to encourage the growth of new cross-links beneath the cornea to strengthen its support structure and to make it less steep.
- Corneal transplant surgery
Transplant surgery involves putting the donor cornea in place of the diseased cornea. Depending on the severity of your keratoconus, the transplant may involve just the front and middle layers of the cornea (partial thickness) or the entire cornea itself (full thickness).
The chances of the body rejecting the donor cornea are lower in partial thickness surgery, and the healing period is also shorter.
Limited studies report that cornea transplant surgeries in the treatment of keratoconus have high success rates (almost 70%) seven years after the procedure.
At Focus Eye Care & Surgery, our New York cornea surgeon specializes in the surgical treatment of keratoconus such as corneal cross-linking, partial thickness transplantation, and full thickness transplantation.
How do you get keratoconus?
Eye doctors are not sure what causes keratoconus, but it appears to be hereditary. Allergic conditions like eczema and asthma also appear to be risk factors.
As the cornea is the eyes’ first layer of contact with the external environment, excessive rubbing of the eyes or incorrectly fitted contact lenses have also been shown to be contributing factors.
Because of its unknown etiology (the study of what causes diseases), keratoconus has no cure at present.
Can you get keratoconus in both eyes?
Yes. One eye may be more severely affected by keratoconus than the other.
What are the complications of keratoconus?
Left untreated, keratoconus may cause progressive visual impairment; however, it does not cause total loss of vision. Current treatments allow people with keratoconus to live normal lives.