Keratoconus is a rare optical condition that affects roughly 1 out of every 2,000 individuals in the United States. Patients who have this condition typically suffer from blurred vision, excessive eye rubbing, issues seeing at night, seeing glare and halos around lights, and frequent headaches. Keratoconus occurs when a cone-like bulge forms in the cornea (which is the dome-shaped protective layer of your eye). Corneas are the most vulnerable part of your eyes, being the outermost lens. This optical disease can make completing otherwise simple tasks quite difficult which is definitely frustrating to deal with.

Thankfully, there are treatments available for individuals with this disease that can correct their vision. When the condition is less advanced, the best Keratoconus treatment on the market is Corneal Cross-linking (also known as cross-linking surgery or CXL). Cross-linking has become quite the popular treatment option as it has a success rate of over 95%!

Why Choose Cross-Linking?

Besides the high success rate of CXL, there are many benefits of choosing this procedure over other forms of treatment, such as cornea transplants.

Cross-linking for Keratoconus is minimally invasive, unlike a full cornea transplant. During a corneal cross-linking procedure, an ophthalmologist will use your existing cornea to repair itself to prevent any further progression of Keratoconus. Your eye doctor will carefully remove the cornea’s outer layer to facilitate the growth of new inner-cornea links. This is completely painless as your doctor will numb the area using numbing drops and gently remove the thin layer on your cornea called the epithelium. All you’ll have to do is sit back, and look at the special ultraviolet light.

On average, a CXL procedure only takes 60-90 minutes at your ophthalmologist’s office. As soon as the procedure is complete, you can head home to rest and recover. What’s really wonderful is that most patients’ vision is restored within four weeks! This is significantly faster than the recovery period after a cornea transplant. After the procedure, you should also try to limit your daily screen time and exposure to bright lights.

It takes roughly an hour to complete a cornea transplant procedure, but the recovery periods of up to a year for your eye to see at full strength again. Patients who opt for a cornea transplant can also expect to make some lifestyle changes post-op to heal properly. Oftentimes patients have to wear rigid contact lenses to have optimal vision after the surgery.

Of course, the chosen treatment method depends on the severity of the Keratoconus. But if the case is mild to moderate and your doctor decides that you’re a good candidate, Cross-linking surgery is the way to go.

Am I a Good Candidate for Cross-Linking Surgery?

To determine if CXL is the right treatment for you, your opthalmologist will consider multiple factors:

  • Your age
  • The thickness of your cornea
  • Keratoconus progression
  • If your vision cannot be corrected using other methods (i.e. contacts or glasses)

Keratoconus mostly affects patients in their teens – twenties. This same age group is more likely to suffer from rapid corneal thinning and progression of the optical disorder. For these younger individuals, CXL is ideal because it’ll halt the progression.

Some mild cases of Keratoconus can be treated with the use of prescription contacts or glasses. However, if your vision hasn’t improved with corrective lenses or it’s worsening, CXL may be your best bet.

Your corneal thickness is a major determining factor, as CXL surgery requires parts of your cornea to be present. If your cornea is already too thin or if you have corneal scarring, you might not qualify for Cross-linking surgery. If you’ve had any surgeries in the past that have removed a portion of your cornea, such as a penetrating keratoplasty (PK) or a deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), undergoing Cross-linking would most likely not benefit you.

To determine whether or not Cross-linking would be right for you, you should speak with an opthalmologist. Our expert ophthalmologists at Vistar Eye Center would be pleased to meet with you for a consultation. The sooner you receive treatment for Keratoconus, the better. So please don’t wait.

Schedule a CXL surgery consultation with us, today!