Toronto, Ontario Keratoconus Treatment with Intacs® and Corneal Cross Linking
For patients who suffer from keratoconus, a progressive eye disease, Yonge Eglinton Laser Eye + Cosmetic Centre offers new alternative treatments. Previously, patients with keratoconus relied on corneal transplants when their eyes deteriorated beyond the point at which eye glasses or contacts could assist them. Now, our Toronto, Ontario patients have two keratoconus treatment options: Intacs® corneal implants and corneal cross linking.
What is keratoconus?
Keratoconus is a rare condition involving the bulging of the cornea. In time, keratoconus causes the cornea to thin, and without treatment vision begins to deteriorate to the point that glasses or contacts are no longer viable solutions.
Intacs® Corneal Implants
The Intacs® procedure is performed to correct this bulge and flatten the steep portion of the cornea, thus fixing vision irregularities. Intacs® implants are prescription inserts that offer an option between contacts and corneal transplants in terms of invasiveness. Unlike the IOLs used during cataract surgery (ReSTOR® and ReZoom™), Intacs® corneal implants do not replace the cornea; rather, they are implanted within the existing cornea to provide keratoconus treatment. Intacs® are made from the same material used to produce contact lens implants (or intraocular lenses) and do not cause much risk of negative reactions.
The Intacs® Implantation Procedure
The procedure requires making only a small incision before the Intacs® implant can be placed to reshape the weakened cornea and restore vision. Dr. David Rootman is extensively trained in this type of corneal procedure.
During the surgery, Dr. Rootman will form a cavity amid the stroma (the thickest layer in the anatomy of the eye) and insert a crescent-shaped Intacs® ring to flatten the cornea and correct vision. The entire procedure takes only about 15 minutes. The surgery is intended to be permanent, but it can be reversed at any time. Contact our Toronto, Ontario practice to learn about this marginally invasive keratoconus treatment.
Corneal Cross Linking
Vision in patients with keratoconus is typically blurry, even with glasses, due to the stretching of the cornea. The stretching continues to progress until the patient reaches his or her 30s. By that age, the cornea has become stiffer and is less likely to bulge and become irregular. The corneal cross linking procedure serves a similar purpose, stemming the progression of keratoconus by stiffening and bonding the fibers in the cornea with the use of ultraviolet light.
The corneal cross linking keratoconus treatment can be extremely beneficial. For the first time, we now have an effective treatment that prevents keratoconus from getting worse. This treatment, when teamed together with Intacs® corneal implants and laser shaping of the cornea, can often lead to a dramatic improvement in vision without the need for a corneal transplant.
The Corneal Cross Linking Procedure
The welding of the fibers that occurs during the corneal cross linking procedure has little effect on the clarity of the cornea, yet has been proven in many European studies to slow down and even halt the progression of keratoconus. The procedure itself is simple: vitamin B2 is applied to the cornea, followed by exposure of the cornea to ultraviolet light for a short time. The light activates molecules called free radicals that act to weld adjacent fibers in the cornea, much like a coiled electrical wire. This process is similar to the one used in the creation of many of our modern polymers that are used to make many household plastics. It is also similar to the bonding procedure that dentists use to attach materials, such as those used in fillings, to our teeth. The whole process takes about one hour.
Find Out More about Keratoconus Treatment Options
Yonge Eglinton Laser Eye + Cosmetic Centre is committed to offering the latest, safest procedures to our Toronto, Ontario patients. We believe that the two keratoconus treatment options at our practice allow for the best possible results. Contact our practice to learn more about Intacs® and corneal cross linking today.
2345 Yonge Street
Suite 212
Toronto, Ontario, M4P 2E5
I would like to thank the team at Yonge Eglinton Laser Centre for their hospitality, kind service and honesty. I knew this was right centre for me because of the quality of care they showed me from my very first call for the consultation.
(D. Anderson, November 2009)