The corneas of your eyes provide the majority of the light-bending power that brings your sight into focus. A condition called keratoconus changes the cornea from its normal gentle curve to a peaked cone shape. The more pronounced this change, the more it affects your vision.
Keratoconus can’t be cured or reversed. You can, however, interrupt its progress with corneal cross-linking, a simple procedure that enhances and stabilizes the protein structure of corneal tissue.
Corneal cross-linking doesn’t fix refractive errors caused by keratoconus, but it does stabilize your eye — and you may even have options for laser eye surgery after your treatment. Contact Advanced Lasik in Midtown East, New York City, Duarte and Long Beach, California, to find out the truth about corneal cross-linking.
One of the reasons corneal cross-linking may be misunderstood is the unusual nature of the treatment. Your eyes are prepared for treatment, receiving drops of a common vitamin and, when your eyes are saturated, we expose them to ultraviolet (UV) light.
The vitamin is B2 (riboflavin), a common essential nutrient found in many foods. The target of the treatment is the collagen tissue that forms your corneas. Collagen is the most common protein structure in your body.
The UV light combines with the B2 to start a photochemical reaction. The UV-activated process establishes new bonds (cross-links) in the collagen matrix that stabilizes the shape of the cornea.
That’s it. Eye drops and a special light work together to make your corneas stronger. There’s a bit more to the hour-long procedure, but essentially, these are the key steps.
Let’s take a look at some of the misconceptions about the corneal cross-link procedure:
Fact: Keratoconus has no cure, and once your corneas are damaged by the condition, they can’t be fixed. The best-case scenario is that keratoconus progression stops with cross-linking treatment.
Fact: Corneal cross-linking is a minimally invasive procedure, removing the thin epithelium layer before application of the drops of B2. After irradiation with UV light, you’re fitted with a protective contact lens. You may have hazy vision temporarily, but further complications are exceptionally rare.
Fact: If there’s any vision improvement after corneal cross-linking, it’s limited. Visual improvement is not the primary intent of the procedure. You may be able to undergo further vision correction surgery once your corneas stabilize, but that’s evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Corneal cross-linking can prevent or delay the need for a corneal transplant, however. Think of it as a procedure that preserves your vision, rather than optimizing it.
Do you have keratoconus or another condition that would benefit corneal cross-linking? Contact ophthalmologist Dr. Randa Garrana and out team at Advanced Lasik to learn more.
Call or click online to book an appointment at your nearest 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.
