Keratoconus Cross-Linking Surgery

Keratoconus Cross-Linking

Keratoconus disease causes blurred vision of the cornea, which develops in the shape of an outward cone, and may cause sensitivity to light and glare. Usually Keratoconus affects both eyes, but often affects one eye more than the other. It usually begins to affect people between the ages of 10 and 25. The condition may progress slowly for 10 years or more. The development of disease usually slows down and stops after the age of 35. Cross-Linking Surgery also very effective treatment of disease.

In the early stages of keratoconus,

you can correct vision problems with glasses or contact lenses. You may then need to continue treatment with other types of lenses, such as rigid, permeable contact lenses or scleral lenses. If there is no treatment and your condition progresses to an advanced stage, you may need a corneal transplant.

Treatment Method

Especially Cross-linking surgery is performed to increase the biomechanical stability and stiffness of the cornea in order to prevent the progression of keratoconus. Technically, in the center of the eye, with a diameter of approximately 6-7 mm, the epithelium, which is the top layer of the cornea, is stripped and 0.1% Riboflavin solution (also known as vitamin B₂ as Riboflavin content) to be dripped into the eye, ultraviolet-A radiation light at a wavelength of 370 nm is applied in accordance with a certain procedure. It is done with the application by the doctor.

Ultraviolet-A radiation light activates Riboflavin, leading to the formation of collagen bonds between collagen fibrils and corneal stroma and an intense healing process in the anterior stroma. This technique should not be applied to patients with a central corneal thickness of less than 400 microns, as it may cause a risk of toxic reactions in the endothelium, the innermost layer of the cornea.

Laser Eye Treatment

According to the condition of the cornea and eye structure, in patients with keratoconus whose progression has stopped after the age of 35, first Laser Eye surgery and immediately after cross-linking surgery can be performed and the patient can get rid of his glasses or lenses. Patients are treated under the Sensitive Profile Patient Program.

ICL (Intraocular) Phakic lenses can be a very effective solution in the treatment of eye defects in patients who have had Cross-Linking treatment in disease and whose development of Keratoconus has stopped. Click for information about ICL (Intraocular Lens)…

These treatments can be offered in addition to the above vision correction options, depending on the patient’s condition.

Symptoms

Although keratoconus is of varying severity. Therefore it typically affects both eyes and has well-known signs and symptoms. Furthermore there is no clear consensus on the signs and symptoms associated with early stage. And these findings can be detected with a state-of-the-art corneal tomography device. The early stages of the disease are often referred to as subclinical or form-fruste keratoconus. But there are no unified criteria for the use of these two terms. Subclinical keratoconus is typically a reference to one eye with normal corneal hourglass findings and topographic signs of disease (or questionable topographic findings) in the other eye with keratoconus.

The signs and symptoms of keratoconus may change as the disease progresses.

• Blurred or distorted vision.
• Increased sensitivity to bright light and glare, which can cause problems when driving at night.
• The need for frequent changes in eyeglass prescriptions.
• Sudden worsening or blurred vision.

When to see a doctor

If your eyesight is deteriorating rapidly due to astigmatism, you should definitely call our hospital and see your ophthalmologist. During routine eye examinations in our hospital, especially keratoconus symptoms are analyzed and risk is determined.

Causes of the Disease

Although the cause cannot be determined exactly, among the causes of the disease in medical research; It has been determined that genetic and environmental factors from the family are caused by asthma, eczema, allergies, intense eye rubbing. About 1 in 10 people with keratoconus have a parent factor in the condition.

Risk factors

These factors can increase your chances of developing keratoconus:

• Having a family history of keratoconus
• Rub your eyes vigorously
• Having certain conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa, Down syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hay fever, and asthma

Complications

In some cases, your cornea can swell rapidly, causing a sudden decrease in vision and scarring of the cornea. This is caused by a condition where the inner lining of your cornea breaks down, allowing fluid to enter the cornea (hydrops). The swelling usually goes away on its own, but a scar may form that affects your vision.

Advanced keratoconus can cause injury to your cornea, especially where the cone is most prominent. An injured cornea causes worsening vision problems and may require corneal transplant surgery.

Diagnosis

To diagnose keratoconus, our hospital’s ophthalmologist will review your medical and family history and perform an eye exam. He or she may do other tests to determine more details about the shape of your cornea. Tests to diagnose keratoconus include:

Eye breakout. In this test, your eye doctor uses special equipment that measures your eyes to check for vision problems. He may ask you to look at a device with different lenses to help you determine which combination gives you the sharpest vision. He or she may also use a retinoscope to evaluate your eyes.

Examination with a bio-microscope (Slit-Lamp). In this test, your doctor directs a vertical beam of light to the surface of your eye and uses a low-power microscope to view your eye. It evaluates the shape of your cornea and looks for other potential problems with your eye.

Keratometry Test

In this test, your eye doctor focuses a circle of light on your cornea and measures the reflection to determine the basic shape of your cornea.

Computerized corneal mapping

Special photographic tests such as corneal tomography and corneal topography record images to create a detailed shape map of your cornea. A corneal CT can also measure the thickness of your cornea. Corneal tomography can detect early signs of keratoconus before the disease appears during examination with the Bio-Microscope.

Useful links:

About our eye surgeons. Presbyopia LASIK Laser Eye Surgery. LASIK Laser Eye Surgery. NoTouch T-PRK Laser Eye Surgery. PRK Laser Eye Surgery. Sensitive Profile Patient Program. LASIK Definition. FAQ.