Keratoconus is a condition in which the clear tissue on the front of the eye (cornea) bulges outward. With keratoconus, the clear, dome-shaped tissue that covers the eye (cornea) thins and bulges outward into a cone shape. Its cause is unknown. Symptoms first appear during puberty or the late teens and include blurred vision and sensitivity to light and glare.
Constant inflammation from allergies or irritants can contribute to the destruction of corneal tissue that may result in developing keratoconus. Also, chronic eye rubbing is associated with developing keratoconus, and may also be a risk factor for disease progression.
Corneal cross-linking (CXL) is a treatment provided by Re:Vision for patients with keratoconus which can prevent their condition from getting worse, and is successful in more than 90% of cases. However, they advise that after treatment, you will still need to wear spectacles or contact lenses.
Keratoconus gets worse because the cornea weakens, and CXL uses ultraviolet light and vitamin B2 (riboflavin) drops to stiffen the cornea. Used together, they cause fibres within the cornea to cross-link – or bond more tightly. This treatment mimics the normal age-related stiffening of the cornea, which is known as natural cross-linking.
Re:Vision recommend this treatment only for patients whose corneal shape scans show that their keratoconus is getting worse, or for those who are at particularly high risk of worsening keratoconus. Because of natural cross-linking with age, keratoconus usually stops getting worse by the mid-30’s, so CXL is normally not required for older patients.
Re:Vision advise that collagen cross-linking is the only treatment currently available that appears to stop keratoconus from getting worse. Evidence from three large clinical trials one year after CXL showed success in halting keratoconus progression in more than 90% of treated eyes, with more than 45% of eyes also gaining an improvement in corneal shape.
Their experience is that for the majority of people, their keratoconus usually stabilises quite well after 25 years of age, so for more information on Keratoconus please go to https://www.revision.nz .
