Improving your vision with Keratoconus
Non-surgical options
Glasses
Glasses can be very effective with mild keratoconus, but their ability to help lessens as keratoconus advances. This is because keratoconus causes the cornea to become irregular in shape. Glasses can only correct regular shapes like a football or rugby ball. If glasses are not fully correcting your vision, it is possible to have ghosting and/or blur. It is also common to notice that lights at night become streaked. When severe this can impact your ability to drive at night.
Glasses cannot correct the visual blur caused by an irregularly shaped cornea. Thankfully, we now have many methods to help reshape the cornea, which often means that glasses can become more helpful again. See below.
Contact lenses
When correctly fitted whilst wearing, contact lenses can often restore your vision. Contact lenses are available in common soft through to a full range of more specialist custom moulded lenses (EyeFitPro and EyePrintPro). Mr Darcy is able to provide a comprehensive range through Vision Care Clinic, Bristol.
Contact lenses can be a great solution for many people with keratoconus, but if this is not you, please do not despair. We have other methods to help improve your vision.
Contact lenses should never be in contact with water. This means drying your hands after washing them before inserting or removing a lens. Good hygiene techniques are essential to minimise the risk of infection.
Surgical options
Customised laser eye surgery for keratoconus
Keratoconus and corneal ectasias cause the cornea to become irregular, degrading the quality of vision. Laser technological advancements and highly-detailed scanning techniques now enable customised surface laser eye surgery to improve the shape of your cornea, improving the quality of vision. These treatments aim to repair the shape, improving your quality of vision in glasses. Following these treatments, performing other procedures to reduce your dependence on glasses or contact lenses may be possible.
Contact us for more information or find out if you are suitable.
Intrastromal ring segments
Ring segments can be inserted into the cornea to provide additional structural support, improving the shape and vision. These structural segments can be made from biological tissue, more closely matching your cornea (CAIRS - Corneal allogenic intrastromal ring segments) or plastic (Keraring, Intacs). One or two ring segments are customised for each eye to optimise their effect.
Intrastomal ring segment surgery can be combined with customised laser eye surgery or even other procedures to further improve the quality of vision or even potentially reduce your dependence on glasses or contact lenses.
Corneal transplant
Corneal transplantation has been the mainstay of treatment for decades. More recently it is reserved as a last resort because more less invasive methods to rehabilitate the vision are available. The visual outcomes and long-term success remain unchanged and it continues to be a great method to rehabilitate more advanced eyes, or those with scars preventing alternative methods. The two most common types of corneal graft used in keratoconus are;
Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) - here only the front layers of the cornea are replaced preserving your own internal endothelial cells. This has structural benefits and reduces the risk of transplant rejection.
Penetrating keratoplasty (PK) - this replaces all five layers of the cornea. This was the orignial method of performing corneal transplants. It remains a good option for people with full thickness scars or those who may have suffered corneal hydrops.
