Though your eyes feature a natural lens, it’s the fine-tuning element that allows you to focus sharply. About 70% of the light entering your eye is refracted (bent) by the cornea, or the outer clear dome of your eye.
Along with protecting the rest of your eye, the cornea is the main focusing element. When you have a corneal disorder, your vision can suffer. Keratoconus is a common condition that blurs vision by changing the cornea from its normal disc-like shape to cone-shaped.
At Advanced Lasik in Midtown East, New York City, and Duarte and Long Beach, California, ophthalmologist Dr. Randa Garrana watches for keratoconus, since the condition of your corneas may impact the types of laser vision correction surgery you may qualify for.
Strengthening the protein bonds within the cornea can slow deterioration and improve the condition of your corneas. A process called corneal cross-linking accomplishes this to treat keratoconus and other conditions that cause bulging and thinning of the cornea.
The reason why keratoconus happens isn’t known, though about 10% of people with the condition have a parent who also had it, so there may be a genetic connection. You may also be at risk if you regularly rub your eyes heavily.
Some medical conditions are statistically connected with keratoconus, including:
Environmental conditions like ultraviolet (UV) light exposure and pollution can also cause chronic inflammation that places increased strain on the cornea.
Signs of keratoconus include blurry vision, distorted vision, light sensitivity, frequent corrective lens prescription changes, and trouble with night vision and glare.
Cross-linking refers to the way the protein collagen bonds itself together. As the most abundant protein in your body, collagen forms a matrix to keep your tissues strong. This also includes your corneas.
When the matrix bonds are strong, so is your corneal structure. When collagen bonds are weak, the cornea is more vulnerable to physical distortion, becoming conical and thinner.
Dr. Garrana uses special drops of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) to encourage new cross-links in corneal tissue, along with the assistance of a special UV light designed for this purpose. Overall, the office procedure takes about an hour.
That’s the basic process, though there are a few other preparatory and protective steps as part of the procedure and your recovery.
Keratoconus patients are excellent candidates for corneal cross-linking. The procedure fixes your cornea in place, makes its tissue stronger, and prevents further changes to corneal shape.
Other forms of ectasia (changes in cornea shape) that cause astigmatism also benefit from cross-linking. Ectasia can also be a rare complication after some eye surgeries. Potentially, it may be a treatment for certain other eye conditions that continue to be researched.
Do you have questions about keratoconus or corneal cross-linking? Dr. Garrana and our team at Advanced Lasik have answers, and we’re here to meet all your vision correction needs.
To learn more, book an appointment at your nearest Advanced Lasik location today. We have one East Coast office in Midtown East, New York City, and two West Coast offices in Duarte and Long Beach, California.
