Methods of keratoconus treatment
Depending on the stage of the disease, taking into account the presence of pathological changes in the cornea, different methods of treatment are used for the treatment of keratoconus: therapeutic and surgical.
Therapeutic methods of treatment include the use of hard contact lenses (but actually it is not a tretment, just vision correction) and cross-linking procedure, the use of vitamin kael for the cornea, and surgical - implantation of stromal rings and keratoplasty-corneal transplant surgery.
Use of hard contact lenses
Wearing hard contact lenses was previously the traditional method used to improvie the low vision dut to keratoconus. This treatment was based on mechanical obstruction of the corneal curvature by a rigid contact lens. However, such an impact, as a rule, was not able to stop the progression of the disease.
Modern methods of treatment, which include the implantation of intrastromal corneal segments (Ferrarings rings, INTACS), as well as crosslinking of the cornea, are much more effective.
Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL)
If we consider the methods of treatment of keratoconus, the corneal crosslinking stands out among them for its safety and high efficiency. The mechanism of this method is based on the property of certain substances to harden under the action of ultraviolet.
Such substances include Riboflavin, the solution of which is impregnated with the cornea tissue during the procedure by means of instillation. After this, the ophthalmologist using a special instrument carries out irradiation of cornea with ultraviolet beam, and the tissues are formed of elastic sections, hindering the further development of keratoconus.
We use not only traditional cross-linkin, but transepithelial collagen cross-linking. The procedure is performed without corneal epithelium removal, as a result-much better tolerability of the procedure and minimization of complications!
Implantation of intrastromal rings (segments) - ICRS
Intrastromal Corneal Ring Segments (ICRS) are surgically implantable special polymer pieces in the tissue of the cornea.
Intrastromal rings create a strengthening structure that prevents the progression of corneal deformation. In addition, the corneal is levelling effect, whereby the correction is carried out (although not always complete) astigmatism. For a good result, in some cases, implantation of one half-ring, and sometimes two is required.
For our patients femtosecond laser availables to support the installation of the ICRS.
The operation of implantation of intrastromal rings is not penetrating. Therefore, it is safe and patients tolerate it very well. After surgery, the patient is prescribed instillation of anti-inflammatory and antibiotic drugs for several weeks.
In our ophthalmology center we use nomograms-special calculations for the optimal choice of the ring size and the place of its installation. This gives you the highest visual acuity you can achieve! Most eye clinics put segments "by eye", with the corresponding low final result.
The semicircle of great root in the tissue of the cornea and it is absolutely not visible in the eye of the patient with the naked eye. Learn more about segment implantation >>>
Keratoplasty (penetrating and lamellar)
Corneal transplant surgery is called keratoplasty. According to statistics, such surgical treatment is necessary for 10-20% of patients diagnosed with "keratoconus". The essence of the operation is to remove the keratoconus affected part of the cornea and replace it with a donor cornea (completely or several layers). The percentage of success of keratoplasty and the patient gaining good vision is about 90%, which is quite high.
In most eye clinics, patients with keratoconus in the advanced stages are offered only penetrating corneal keratoplasty (PKP) - a severe, expensive and having a large number of complications operation. We are able to carry out DALK (Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty) - a procedure with a lower risk of complications, which is much easier to carry out by patients and gives the highest result for vision!
Iimprovement of vision after surgery is usually not immediately. Sometimes it takes several weeks, and in some cases the process takes up to 12 months.Learn more about kratoplasty >>>
Radial keratotomy (Dimond Surgery)
We present this method as an for reference only, because in Russia it is not used because of the instability and unpredictability of the results.
You can learn more about each of the methods and the cost of treatment in more detail in the relevant section of our website.
